Prosecutor: No charges in Vet's homicide | News

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) -- The Kent County Prosecutor says there will be no charges filed against an Alzheimer's patient who killed another man at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

Andrew Ball, who suffered from Alzheimer's and a resident in a dementia unit at the veterans home, was beaten in mid-April by another patient.  Ball died days after the attack, and Kent County Medical Examiner Dr. Steven Cohle determined the death was due to complications from the attack and ruled it a homicide.

Prosecutor William Forsyth issued his opinion on the attack Thursday.  In his written statement, Forsyth called the entire incident a tragedy, "but I will not compound it by attempting to prosecute the alleged suspect."

Forsyth says, like Ball was before his death, his attacker is in advanced stages of Alzheimer's and dementia. 

"Given the suspect's advanced age and the extent of his dementia, absolutely nothing will be gained from charging him with a crime," says Forsyth in his statement, "a crime I doubt he has any memory of having committed."

One of Ball's stepdaughters, Deborah Keyworth, says the family is still trying to process the killing of their father.

"While we understand what the prosecutor is saying, we don't understand how our father died in a homicide and there is no justice," Keyworth says. 

Ball's family has apparently discussed their legal options in the wake of his death.  "We just haven't figured it out, yet, but we want justice."