FARGO (KFGO) – A former employee at Maple View Memory Care in south Fargo has been sentenced to two years in prison for the death 78-year-old Gary Pearson.
60-year-old Rachel Cooper pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in the August 2021 death. A criminal complaint said Cooper was cleaning Pearson’s bathroom and that the two appeared to have struggled over the door. Cooper pushed Pearson with both hands, causing him to fall backward.
Cooper later told police that he was keeping her from leaving the bathroom.
She said she pushed him with one arm, causing him to trip and fall.
In addition to prison time, a judge sentenced Cooper to two years of supervised probation.
