North Carolina Assisted Living Resident Charged in Resident Beating Death
Daniel Julian East
Daniel Julian East, 55, is being held on a $2 million bond and charged with second-degree murder in the May 25, 2009 death of a fellow resident at David's House, an assisted living facility located in Dobson, North Carolina. The charge may be upgraded to first degree murder.
On May 21, 2009, Jeremiah Daniel Love, 27, was involved in a confrontation with East. East said he went after Love because Love had cursed and kicked his dog. Angry, East hit Love several times in the head, shoulder, and arm with his cane.
After the alleged assault, an employee called Karen Huddleston, a co-owner of the facility and asked her to apply for commitment papers on Love. She found a knot of Love's head and applied ice. In the meantime, she called police to assist in moving Love to a hospital for treatment. Allegedly, Love had repeatedly left the facility that day and was also physically harming himself by hitting his head and knuckles on a block wall. Once at the hospital, Love complained of a headache, became sick, and began having seizures. He was airlifted to Wake Forest Hospital, where he underwent surgery for severe bleeding on the brain. He died on May 25, 2009, without ever regaining consciousness. An autopsy on May 26 ruled Love's death a homicide and East was charged with second degree murder on May 29, 2009.
Love's family contacted police on May 22, 2009, because they did not believe the story David's House staff were providing. According to Dobson Police Chief Shawn Myers, "The family had been told that Love was in a confrontation with another resident and that he fled, fell over some bicycles and struck an air conditioning unit before hitting the back of his head on a concrete porch." The injury was to the right side of Love's skull.
Surveillance footage from the facility shows East swinging at Love and missing. Then, East is seen hitting Love in the side of the head with his cane in a baseball-type swing. Love fell and was hit again before staff could pull them apart. The bicycles in the area were seen upright when Love fell. The story East told, however, collaborated with surveillance footage.
East was arrested on the day Love died on an unrelated charge after he allegedly threatened to beat a facility employee with his cane. He was charged with communicating threats. East has a prior criminal history and has served time for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, assault on a female, and driving while impaired and intoxicated.
There is no word yet on whether David's House employees will be charged with trying to cover up the truth behind Love's death.
The Terry Law Firm is experienced in handling cases of nursing home abuse and neglect. Please contact us at 1 (888) 317-2525 or visit our website at www.nursinghomejustice.com.
