Minnesota Nursing Home Resident Dies After Being Body Slammed By Pro Wrestler
Helmut Gutmann, 97, was a resident in the memory loss section of Friendship Village in Bloomington, Minnesota. He and his wife moved to Friendship Village approximately ten years ago and Helmut transferred to the memory loss section around two years ago. Mr. Gutmann fled from Nazi Germany and served as a captain in the U.S. Army's Chemical Warfare Service during World War II. He worked as a cancer research scientist for 40 years at the Minneapolis V.A. Hospital. He was also accomplished classical musician and played violin for the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra for 12 years.
Verne Gagne, 82, is a pro wrestling legend in Minnesota. He was a pro wrestler from 1949 to 1981 and won multiple NCAA wrestling titles for Minnesota. In 1960, he began "All Star Wrestling" on television. He was the sole owner of the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and helped launch the wrestling careers of Hulk Hogan and Jesse "The Body" Ventura. He, too, was a resident of the memory loss section at Friendship Village.
The men were roommates and both suffered from Alzheimer's-related dementia. However, on January 26, 2009, something went terribly wrong. Gagne and Gutmann apparently got into a fight, which was not their first altercation. Reportedly, Gagne threw Gutmann to the floor, breaking his hip and causing a head injury. No one was present when the altercation occurred and no one knows what precipitated it. Gutmann has no memory of the fight. Gutmann underwent surgery for his injuries and appeared to be doing fine and working on his physical therapy. However, during the week of February 8, 2009, Gutzmann "stopped taking any sustenance at all...He stopped eating and drinking" and died on February 14, 2009.
Mr. Gagne has been dismissed from the facility.
