Michigan Officials Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter

Michigan’s attorney general charged five state health officials with involuntary manslaughter in connection to a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that killed 12 people during the Flint, Mich., water crisis. Six officials were charged in this round of criminal charges.

The officials include:

• Nick Lyon, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and misconduct in office.
• Eden Wells, chief medical executive for the Michigan Department of Health and Human services, was charged with obstruction of justice and lying to a police officer.
• Darnell Early, former state emergency manager for Flint, was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Early previously was charged with felony false pretenses, conspiracy to commit false pretenses, misconduct in office, and a misdemeanor charge of willful neglect of duty.
• Howard Croft, former manager for Flint’s Water Department, was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Croft previously was charged with false pretenses and conspiracy to commit false pretenses.
• Liane Shekter-Smith, drinking water chief for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Shekter-Smith previously was charged with felony misconduct in office and misdemeanor willful neglect of duty.
• Stephen Busch, district supervisor for the state Office of Drinking Water, was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Busch previously was charged with felony misconduct in office, tampering with evidence, conspiracy to tamper with evidence, and two misdemeanor counts of the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act.

Fifteen total officials have been charged in the investigation into the Flint water crisis, and the investigation is ongoing.