'No answers' leaves vet's family upset

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - When Andrew Ball died April 17 after being assaulted by an Alzheimer's patient at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, his family wanted answers to many questions.

Now, six weeks later, they're frustrated.

The 84-year-old Ball -- who was also suffering from Alzheimer's -- died from complications from the assault . His wife still lives at the home. And their daughter wants some answers, especially over the way the home is handling their end of the investigation.

"I'm upset," Deb Keyworth told 24 Hour News 8 on Friday. "There's been nothing said. Nothing. And, yeah, my mom's in there."

Keyworth, who lives in Lansing, said she understands the difficulties in a criminal investigation. But there has been no formal acknowledgement from the veterans home on how it happened and what they're doing to protect other patients - including her mother.

The state's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs , which runs the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, only sent a form letter acknowledging her father's death.

Prosecutors told 24 Hour News 8 they just received the full autopsy report and a decision on charges could be made as early as next week. It would likely be a complicated case to charge.

Because of the suspect's mental capacity, it's unclear if he'd be competent to stand trial.

"I think finding out what happened and then preventing it from happening again, depending on what we find out, then do we need to probably make some changes," she said.

Changes she hopes would protect current and future patients, and give the Ball family some closure.

"We wake up at night and just don't know what to do with some of our feelings because there's just no, there's just no answers yet," she said.