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Abstract: 

On September 7, 2007, Salvador and Mabel Mangano were found not guilty of negligent homicide in the deaths of 35 residents of the St. Rita’s Nursing Home. The residents had died of drowning in their St. Bernard Parish nursing home during the flooding that accompanied Hurricane Katrina. Although wrongful death tort lawsuits continue against the Manganos, the jury absolved them of criminal guilt. Unfortunately, like most tragedies, the final act, the jury’s verdict, was a culmination of poor decisions, hubris, and, perhaps, fate on the part of the characters in the story. This essay examines the events that led to the deaths at St. Rita’s, followed by the trial that exonerated the couple.

Keywords: St. Rita’s nursing home; Hurricane Katrina; Salvador and Mabel Mangano; written preparedness emergency plan; transfer trauma

Affiliations:  1: New Mexico Supreme Court .