Overview
- A Mayo Clinic safety expert and a Sechrist Industries official testified that the boy was not wearing a required grounding wrist strap and that such straps are a key industry safeguard against static sparks.
- Troy’s lead detective said unused grounding straps were recovered from a facility “junk drawer” and training materials repeatedly stressed the need to secure patients with wrist straps.
- Video evidence reviewed by investigators showed Thomas Cooper moving in the chamber, his hair rising consistent with static buildup, and a flame appearing near the mattress about 40 minutes after pressurization.
- Investigators testified the chamber logged more than 20,000 dives over nine years, and a December 2022 record showed the manufacturer declined further service because the unit had exceeded that count.
- CEO Tamela Peterson, safety director Jeffrey Mosteller and manager Gary Marken face second-degree murder charges, while operator Aleta Moffitt is charged with involuntary manslaughter and falsifying medical records.