Eva Lay (FOX 5 Atlanta obtained permission from the rights holder)
ATLANTA - A Grady Memorial Hospital nurse accused of raping a 73-year-old patient last fall was arrested on Thursday and booked into the Fulton County Jail, nearly a year after the alleged assault.
Chappell Arnell Lee arrested
What we know:
Jail records show Chappell Arnell Lee, 56, of Lithonia, was booked Aug. 21 on multiple felony charges, including rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated sexual battery, abuse of a disabled or elderly person, and tampering with evidence. He remains held at the jail without bond.
The arrest stems from the Oct. 10, 2024, assault of Eva Lay, who was a patient at Grady receiving treatment for a heart condition. According to Atlanta police and a civil complaint filed in Fulton County, Lee entered Lay’s hospital room, closed the door, and sexually assaulted her. Investigators said surveillance video captured him entering the room and remaining inside for about 14 minutes.
Lay, a mother and grandmother, died weeks later from unrelated health problems. Her family said her mental health deteriorated after the attack.
Eva Lay (FOX 5 Atlanta obtained permission from the rights holder)
Family of Eva Lay reacts
What they're saying:
Attorneys for the family said they are relieved Lee is finally facing criminal charges.
"The family of Eva Lay is pleased that the Grady Memorial Hospital nurse who allegedly sexually assaulted her while she was a patient at the hospital has been arrested and charged for the horrific abuse perpetrated against her," attorneys Reginald Greene, L. Chris Stewart and Daedrea Fenwick said in a statement.
They described Lay as "a mother, grandmother and loved by her community," and said she "deserved dignity, care and respect but instead was violated by the very individual entrusted to protect her and on her journey back to health."
The attorneys praised the Atlanta Police Department for its investigation, but accused the hospital of gross negligence.
"Grady Memorial Hospital failed in its legal and moral duty to protect one of its most vulnerable patients from this kind of unimaginable trauma," the statement said. "This hospital’s negligence allowed a predator to violate her in unimaginable ways. We intend to hold Grady Memorial Hospital accountable by all legal means necessary and help bring a measure of justice to Ms. Lay’s family, and all victims of sexual assault at medical facilities."
Grady Memorial Hospital Emergency Room sign.
Eva Lay's family files suit against Grady
The backstory:
Lay’s daughter, Zenitria Davis, filed a civil lawsuit against Grady in July as administrator of her mother’s estate. The suit, filed jointly by Greene Legal Group and Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys, accuses the hospital of negligent hiring, training and supervision, failure to provide adequate security, and gross negligence in protecting patients.
According to the complaint, Lee was working as a nursing support technician on Lay’s floor at the time. Witnesses told investigators he had been unusually attentive toward Lay in the days leading up to the assault, making repeated visits to her room and personal comments about her appearance.
Police reports say Lay was able to describe the assault from her hospital bed, and a sexual assault kit was collected. Surveillance footage allegedly showed Lee leaving her room with linens shortly after the attack.
Eva Lay (FOX 5 Atlanta obtained permission from the rights holder)
Grady sexual assault allegations
Why you should care:
The case has drawn widespread attention because it highlights safety concerns for vulnerable patients inside medical facilities.
What's next:
The family’s attorneys say they intend to pursue both the criminal case against Lee and the civil case against the hospital to its full extent.
The Source: This article uses the Atlanta Police Department incident report, the Lay family's lawsuit filed in Fulton County Superior Court, the arrest warrant for Chappell Arnell Lee, and supplied quotes from Reginald Greene, L. Chris Stewart and Daedrea Fenwick, attorneys for the family of Eva Lay. Additional details come from previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting. Photos in this article were provided by the Lay family through their attorneys.