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yesterday

Preliminary Hearing Begins for Oxford Center Staff in Hyperbaric Chamber Death

The court will assess probable cause on charges tied to alleged routine safety lapses using aging hyperbaric equipment.

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Tamela Peterson (top left), Gary Marken (top right), Jeffrey Mosteller (bottom left), and Aleta Moffitt (bottom right) at their March 11, 2025, arraignment on charges linked to the Jan. 31, 2025, death of a 5-year-old boy inside a hyperbaric chamber that exploded at the Oxford Center in Troy.

Overview

  • Four former employees — CEO Tamela Peterson, safety manager Jeffrey Mosteller, management assistant Gary Marken, and chamber operator Aleta Moffitt — appeared Monday for preliminary examinations in 52-4 District Court in Troy.
  • Prosecutors charged Peterson, Mosteller, and Marken with second-degree murder with alternative counts of involuntary manslaughter, while Moffitt faces involuntary manslaughter and a charge of placing false information on a medical record.
  • The hearing will determine whether a felony occurred and if sufficient evidence exists to send the case to trial over the Jan. 31 explosion that killed 5-year-old Thomas Cooper and injured his mother.
  • Investigators allege the center ignored key safety protocols, including failing to use a grounding strap, providing a blanket straight from a running dryer, using polyester pillows, and rolling back the chamber’s cycle count.
  • Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has said the facility operated chambers beyond their expected service life in disregard of essential safeguards, as Peterson remains free on a $2 million bond under strict conditions.