Attorney General Scott Pruitt

Attorney General Scott Pruitt Wednesday issued a statement on the district court’s decision in the case against former physician assistant Kenneth Adams, who is accused in the deaths of two veterans at Claremore’s veterans center.

On Tuesday, a preliminary hearing for Adams was held in Rogers County District Court where prosecutors presented their case in the deaths of Peter “Jay” Minter, 85, and Louis Arterberry, 86. The judge ordered Adams to face trial on all four felony counts and set his arraignment for 9:30 a.m. April 10 before Judge Steidley in Rogers County District Court.

“We’re encouraged by the latest court decision to send this case to trial and give the state an opportunity to hold this defendant accountable for his actions in the deaths of Mr. Minter and Mr. Arterberry,” Attorney General Pruitt said. “The families of these dedicated veterans deserve justice and we look forward to presenting the case to a jury.”

Adams, 60, of Fort Gibson, was indicted in June by the AG’s Multicounty Grand Jury on two felony counts of second degree felony murder or in the alternative manslaughter in the second degree, two counts of caretaker neglect and one misdemeanor count of failing to initiate a medicolegal investigation by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Counts one and two allege that between May 2 and May 3, 2012, Adams intentionally committed caretaker neglect, which led to the death of Peter “Jay” Minter, after Minter suffered thermal burns that covered more than 50 percent of his body.

Counts three and four allege that between March 28 and 29, 2012, Adams intentionally committed caretaker neglect, which led to the death of Louis Arterberry, after Adams ignored the signs Arterberry was having a stroke.

The fifth count alleges that Adams knowingly provided false and misleading information to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, which resulted in the office declining to perform an investigation into the manner and cause of Minter’s death.