Sheriff's office looks into negligence complaint

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is investigating a complaint from a woman who alleges that negligence during a welfare check contributed to her 75-year-old mother's death.

Barbara Gilbert of Beaumont, Calif., made a complaint after the sheriff's office responded Oct. 10 at 9:30 p.m. to a welfare check at Geraldine Llewellyn's Robin Drive address in the Gardnerville Ranchos.

Llewellyn had missed a hair appointment and was not responding to concerned friends' telephone calls. According to Gilbert, neighbors and friends had pounded on the door earlier in the day without response.

When the sheriff's office arrived, a deputy checked around the locked duplex, knocked and rang the doorbell several times without a response.

The deputy discovered that Llewellyn's bedroom window was opened about 2 inches. He removed a screen and tried to open the window, but it was locked from inside. He lifted the blinds, shined his flashlight in the bedroom and saw Llewellyn on her bed, apparently asleep.

He said her chest rose up and down several times, confirming she was breathing. The deputy called her name and saw her leg move to a bent knee position under the blanket.

The deputy said one of Llewellyn's co-workers was with him and saw her breathe and respond to one of the women's voices.

"We were both convinced Geraldine was well and asleep," the deputy said in his report.

When she failed to show up for work the next day, deputies again were called to the residence at 7:10 a.m. where they observed Llewellyn lying in bed moving around. This time, the landlord unlocked the duplex and deputies called paramedics who transported the unresponsive woman to Carson Valley Medical Center.

She was taken by CareFlight to Reno where she died later that day.

Undersheriff Paul Howell said he expected an investigation to be complete next month.

"The sheriff's office initiated an internal investigation shortly following the incident based on Ms. Gilbert's complaint to a Douglas County Sheriff's Office supervisor," Howell said. "The investigation is still active and we anticipate it being completed by mid-January. We cannot comment any further because of the active investigation."

Gilbert disputed the deputy's report that a witness was satisfied that her mother was all right on Oct. 10.

"The co-worker argued with the sheriff for 20 minutes that something was wrong, to no avail. The next day, Gerry did not show up or call into work, something she had never done before in 16 years. The co-workers this time insisted that the sheriff go to the house and make entry. By then, it was too late and Gerry was life-flighted to Reno where she succumbed," Gilbert said.

Gilbert said she was told by an officer that the deputy didn't want to scare Llewellyn who appeared to be asleep on Oct. 10 by waiting for a verbal response.

"Had they done their job, Gerry might be alive today. We will never know," she said.

Gilbert said her mother worked at Carson Valley Inn for 16 years and never missed a day of work.