Justice For Ernie

03/14/2026

At almost a year and a half later, the excuse that this is merely misguided grief can no longer be a shield to the the truth of the situation. There is a legitimate problem that affects everyone, not just some misplaced anger or emotional misunderstanding affecting the aggrieved family of someone else.

Despite the amount of clear and convincing evidence, despite the obvious wrongdoing, these people have thus far gotten away with this. The deliberate death of a patient to cover up criminal negligence by paramedics, the corruption of an elected official (the Coles County Coroner) to assist his paramedic friends with the cover up, and the lack of investigation by IDPH EMS and Coles County States Attorney. The medical evidence, the injuries, the video, the emails, the text messages, the witnesses, the laws - why are these people allowed to get away with literal murder?

This should bother everyone, not just the citizens of Charleston and Coles County, but everyone across Illinois and the rest of the country. Have Americans become so used to corruption and unequal treatment of the law that acquiescence and acceptance to your life having zero value when it comes to the 1-2% in charge is the new norm? Why has this enslavement in a land claiming pride to individual independence and freedom, a country who's founding began upon the belief of all people being created equal, become the de facto subservient way of life? This affects more than just Ernie, this is more than just another potential hate crime or complicated lawsuit. This devalues YOUR life and the lives of YOUR loved ones. This further enslaves YOU and YOUR FAMILY. This is you accepting that your life and the lives of your children, your spouses, your parents, your siblings and more have less value than the wrongdoing of others, that you are complicit in being less than, and that you are indifferent to targeted justice without blindfolds.

There needs to be accountability held. There needs to be justice served. There needs to be truth granted to Ernie's death certificate. Not just for Ernie, but for every one. For you and your loved ones.

01/19/2026

Thank you all for your continued support. This page has consistently recorded thousands of views each month, even during the months when I wasnt posting on here. Granted, there were some nasty trolls who had to make hateful, unnecessary comments which I just quit reading. It says more about those people than it does about us, especially when we are simply sharing what Ernie went through and what risk the residents here in Charleston and Coles County are subjected to by these people.
There are people who are intending to run for coroner. We obviously need one who will do the job they are elected for. Coroners have no oversight which makes the old saying "absolute power corrupts absolutely" even more significant especially in todays political climate that affects the lives of every single citizen. It matters not how long, there will always be at least 1 Justice For Ernie candidate in every coroner election, and when our candidate wins Ernie's case will be reopen and properly investigated. The coroner, the two paramedics, the LT Fire Chief, and the FP all need to be in prison for their actions and the cover up. There is no statute of limitations for murder and accessory to murder, which is what this was. They wouldnt be tried here either, fair trials are for both sides of the case, and when there is so much evidence of corruption in the county officials covering up the wrongdoing...yeah, it wont be tried here.
Whats sad is when this happens it is going to blow up and become an even bigger issue than anyone anticipates. This coroner has served continuously since 2007, and every case will have to be reinvestigated and reexamined. Every single death under this coroner's jurisdiction for 20 years. The Coles County tax payers will be doubly happy to not just be at lethal risk when using the ambulance, but then to have to pay for all the licensed individuals required go back and double check every single case. How many more cover ups have there been? How many Coles County families have been unknowing victims?
The best thing would be for these individuals to come clean, admit what they did, and do the right thing for the first time. But they lack the integrity for that obviously. Seriously, look at what theyve already done to Ernie and our family, not including the violations of community trust. This isnt a Hallmark movie after all.
But one thing for certain is: Ernie Wombles will never go away for Charleston and Coles County until his correct cause and manner of death is recorded, and justice has been delivered for his taken life. If I should fall, there are 5 in the second line ready to take over my place. There are 10 in the next line that will fight for him. And more to come.

01/15/2026

"A 54 year-old man with no past medical history was brought to hospital with cardiac sounding chest pain and an electrocardiogram revealing ST elevation in leads II, III and aVF. He was taken for immediate primary coronary intervention for an inferior segment elevation (ST) elevation myocardial infarction via right radial approach. During diagnostic imaging of his left mainstem artery, he suffered a Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest on table. He had immediate CPR by hand and then the Lund University Cardiac Arrest System (LUCAS) device was used. He required a total of five shocks in order to restore spontaneous circulation. His total downtime was approximately 10 minutes. During CPR, coronary angiography continued and he was found to have a right coronary artery culprit lesion, which was successfully treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (drug-eluting stent). At the end of his procedure, arterial blood gases showed an Hb of 69 g/l, significantly lower than his admission Hb of 112 g/l. However, this was in the context of 3 l of IV fluid during the resuscitation and angiogram. Repeat formal laboratory blood tests were requested as well as cross-match.
He was then transferred to the intensive care unit for on-going post-resuscitation care. Within minutes of arrival to the intensive care unit, he became significantly more haemodynamically unstable, requiring large doses of vasopressor to maintain blood pressure. Repeat arterial blood gas testing revealed an Hb of 45 g/l, at which point a peri-arrest call was put out. Clinically, he had a clear chest, normal heart sounds but a distended abdomen. He received hypovolaemic shock treatment, with fluids and blood transfusion. A bedside FAST scan was conducted, in the setting of a patient with shock and acute abdominal distension after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In the hepatorenal recess view, free fluid was observed in Morison’s space with a varying degree of echogenicity. This finding was highly suggestive of an acute intra-peritoneal bleed, and in the context of recent CPR, a liver laceration was suspected.
He was taken for immediate laparotomy, which revealed a grade III liver haematoma, according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma liver trauma classification (intra-parenchymal hematoma of more than 10 cm). A definitive primary hepatic surgical repair was performed, and the patient was transferred back to the intensive care unit for supportive care.
Despite the history of a cardiac arrest and peri-arrest a few hours later, with haemorrhagic shock from liver trauma, he showed good neurological signs on sedation hold in the intensive care unit. His organ support was gradually weaned off, and he was discharged from the intensive care unit 5 days after initial admission and from hospital 4 days later. Echocardiography showed globally preserved systolic function with an ejection fraction of 59% and mild diastolic dysfunction. He made a full functional neurological recovery." - excerpt

Source:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7243720/

Here is a guy of similar age who, unlike Ernie, actually was having a STEMI (widowmaker) heart attack. He coded and required resuscitation with a LUCAS device, similar to the Autopulse device they used on Ernie, which also caused trauma to the guy's liver. This guy survived because they got him to the hospital, ran the appropriate tests to check what was going on with his blood indicators, and was able to get him into quick surgery to repair a grade 3 liver hematoma (bruise) as a result. The hematoma was on the front (not the back) of the liver, which is where the cpr related injuries occur when they do. Ernie's was 8cm x 4cm on the back of his liver.

How many medically documented SIGNIFICANT GRADE 4 POSTERIOR LIVER LACERATIONS occur a a result of CPR or CPR device where there isnt any broken ribs?

0. There are none. Cpr and cpr devices only cause between .6-3% of all liver injuries, which are RARE, repeat RARE, potential effects of cpr... and when they do the injuries occur to the anterior (front), on the right lobe, or near the hepatic ligament. They are seldom lacerations or ruptures and nearly always hematomas, and are always accompanied with many broken ribs when compressions or the device are done correctly. When cpr related injuries do occur they are broken ribs, followed by liver...but the gap in between the two different injuries is significant. It is misrepresented that cpr related liver injuries as the second most frequent cpr injury means that it is common. No, it most certainly is not and all medical documentation repeatedly states liver trauma is rare from CPR.

Ernie's liver laceration was a tear 8 cm x 4 cm to the posterior, or back, of his liver. The number of broken ribs Ernie had? Zero. The 11th rib may have had a possible hair line fracture, but it was not officially considered or diagnosed as broken. Not at all the number of ribs required to be broken to compress the liver enough to injure it in that location. Ernie was also kept 45 minutes on the side of the road only 6 miles from the hospital where he could have received proper treatment, immediate surgery, and an almost guaranteed survival outcome.

There is a really misleading phrase passed around that the ambulance gives you the same care as an ER. No the hell it doesn't. Ambulances do not get diagnostic tests done such as imaging and labs, ambulances can not perform many procedures that hospitals can.
Trauma arrests can only be resuscitated when the trauma is treated.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is often conducted with mechanical devices, such as Lund University Cardiac Arrest System in the setting of cardiac arrest during coronary catheterization, to enable effective chest compressions for a prolonged ...

11/03/2025

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Such is the case of the Coles County Coroner, who was so actively involved in the coverup. In coroner system states, these elected officials have no checks and balances or oversight authority double checking their integrity and ensuring that the oaths of office are being upheld. This consolidates their power completely when it comes to deaths in which they sign the death certificate and disposition permits. In these instances they determine cause of death, collect and dispose of evidence, have custody of the body, order or perform autopsies, order inquests, and more.

In our instance, the coroner determined it was the heart attack. He even came to the funeral home and argued with me in front of my family about not getting an autopsy, which I and our kids had already decided we wanted because of Ernie's grotesquely protruding eyes. The coroner after what was about 10 minutes of his increasingly aggressive back and forth discourse with me actually lost all pretense of maintaining professional courtesy when he hatefully outrighted yelled at me "An autopsy wont change my findings!" This took me, our 2 daughters, my mom, my aunt, and nearly 2 year old granddaughter off guard completely in his tone, his aggression, and his statement. This was the day after Ernie died, and way before we knew anything other than he died after having a heart attack, but Cherokee and I both were greeted with an Ernie who looked more like a car wreck victim with a massive head wound than someone who experienced a heart attack that he was walking and talking during just 90 minutes earlier. We wanted to know why his face was so bloody and his eyeballs were pushed out further than his nose. At that moment, nobody was questioning the heart attack.

As time went on, we learned he threw away Ernie's clothes. I have text messages and emails where he was interfering in the autopsy acquisition, lying to us, held control of Ernie's body, and withheld disposition permits until he was reincluded after I sidestepped due the deception and questionable actions I had been subjected to by him.

Despite the internal injuries, the video, the witnesses, the medical records, the scanner, etc the coroner's determination of heart attack is still the cause of death on Ernie's death certificate.

I have the whole original autopsy file including the glass slides, communications, photos, research, etc.

I also have the communication with IDPH EMS. Despite the video showing the first line of the paramedic report to be false, not withstanding the internal injuries of a heart attack patient, and other clear and present falsehoods in the patient report, Irene Wadhams of IDPH EMS closed the case with zero violations found after she collaboratedwith the Coles County Coroner. Mind you, just the falsifying the patient report is a crime as its a legal document. And Ernies entire patient run report is untrue, beginning to end. They made him walk to ambulance without even taking his vitals on a cardiac call, a clear violation of standards of care, which of course the video shows and their report lied about.

The Coles County Coroner has been reelected continuously and unchallenged since 2007. Hes proven himself untrustworthy of his oath of duties, placing his friendship with the paramedics over his oath and the trust his electors have entrusted in him. He has been the primary actor in the cover up, as the paramedics would have been incapable of manipulating the system without his help. This was not the first time either, not with the comfort and ease in which the paramedics and he quickly coordinated and acted in tandem.

Its time to change this. Its time to bring safety, trust, integrity and transparency back to patients and families during these crucial times in their lives, and bring accountability back to those who study for and choose this career. It's time for inquests to be called, evidence to be seen and heard, and for wrongdoers to face their negligence and malpractice. The victims deserve better. Coles County residents deserve better.

will help and support to elect any and all challengers to this coroner in every way the challenger or challengers may need. Murder has no statute of limitations. Its not uncommon for victims and families to have to wait years before justice and accountability happen, and we are prepared to not just wait but help elect a coroner that will handle Ernie's case properly. Ernie deserves to have the correct cause of death on his death certificate, as well as accountability from these people. And they deserve to have their names and actions known for what they did.

Coroner positions require high school diploma, no felony convictions, and its preferred but not required to have mortuary, law enforcement, ems, medical, forensic or some other experience, as you must be elected to the position before being able to go through the state licensing course and certification. That is required within 6 months of election.

11/02/2025

Tuesday, November 4, 2025 is the first anniversary of my husband's death. Its been weighing heavily on me, and Ive been missing him even more than usual. I miss our conversations and messages, I miss our constant companionship and perfect partnership. I miss our lo******ng. I miss our spats and arguments. I miss my soulmate.

He wasn't supposed to die that day. Coronary spasms are 100% survivable. The infarc was small and 30 minutes - 2 hours prior to death. Heart attack patients dont arrive at the hospital after 90 minutes in the back of the ambulance they are on video recording walking themselves to with severe internal and external injuries akin to a major car crash victim either. But what do I know? The county coroner, who yelled at me in front of our family at the funeral home intake appt when I was adamant about an autopsy that "an autopsy wouldnt change his findings" and is the one who signed the death certificate, was magically precognizant because amazingly enough those thousands I paid for an autopsy didn't change his findings at all.

Ernie's cause of death is heart attack. The blunt force trauma lacerating his liver 8" long and 4" wide from behind...internal hemorrhage...brain hemispheres separated and 3 brain contusions...grotesque bilateral proptosis with conjunctival hemorrhage...temporal hematoma and broken nose? Non-contributory.

The county coroner, who works closely with the two paramedics, is documented throwing away Ernies clothes in the hospital records. I mean, why wouldnt he? Ernie no longer needed them, and despite my repeated requests for them I clearly couldnt use them as they were cut off of Ernie, so he was clearly using his authority to be nice and save me an additional hassle from unclear decision making in my grief, right? They were now just tattered rags of no evidenciary value, naturally, so he could do that. Silly grief-stricken gay husband was just being dramatic, after all...something not at all unexpected from someone like him, right?

Paramedics SAVE lives after all, and couldnt POSSIBLY have acted recklessly negligent by failing to seat belt him to the cot and then sliding off the road driving too fast for the cold rainy morning. They never would make a decision to deliberately let a patient die by creating a false narrative about a widowmaker heart attack he wasnt having because he only had 20% blockage and drug eluding stents from a 2011 heart attack. Its just an insignificant fluke the paramedics document his cardiac arrest as vfib which is in line with the STEMI they so easily and accurately diagnosed better than the ER doctor, who received Ernie experiencing PEA, a trauma based cardiac arrest that someone with internal hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury would experience. The paramedics spent 50 minutes on the side of the road only 6 miles from the hospital they passed, and the ER doctor only spent 10 minutes with Ernie before declaring his death so those paramedics and that coroner definitely know more than him.

One year. Its been one year since my world fell apart, and I stepped into the twilight zone. Between us are 6 kids aged 38 to 20. 10 grandkids aged 20 to 1. One year since the strangest heart attack ever recorded in history took one of the most beloved, kindest, generous, devoted, funny, well known and respected, biggest hot mess but loving men out of our world.

I love you Ernie. Each breath since your death has been a traitor to my heart. I miss you so much it physically aches in my chest. Im sorry I called the ambulance instead of taking you myself that morning. I hate myself for that. I hate myself for needing to stop for gas instead of being directly behind the ambulance. I hate myself for failing you.

08/08/2025

The last 10-15 years has really dumbed down our country with such notions as "alternative facts" and evidence meaning or routinely altered. You are free to believe however you like. You are free to believe anything you want about me, or Ernie, or the paramedics. It is your Constitutionally given right as an American, at least for now anyway.

However there are some universal, inescapable truths.

Heart attack patients dont experience massive internal injuries.

Those who have reason to fear the consequences are those who speak falsehoods the most.

May safety and protection be with everyone always.

08/04/2025

Ernie was killed 9 months ago today. It just seems surreal that hes been gone that long.

Its even more surreal those responsible for his death have still not been held accountable.

06/12/2025

Forgetting for a moment all the technicalities, I can not accurately put in to words the toll this had taken on me and our family.

November 4, 2024 was traumatic.

Imagine the worry starting with the initial coronary spasm, and the relief to have him call from the ambulance sounding incredibly better...no distress, no weakness in his voice, the nitro having worked perfectly as he relayed where they were taking him and his looking forward to seeing us shortly, and his love. Imagine the shock and confusion 10 minutes later getting a phone call he was in cardiac arrest and the paramedics needed assistance because they weren't equipped. Imagine pulling up behind 2 ambulances and a fire chief and sitting on the side of the interstate for 20 minutes before moving towards the hospital they passed and were only 6 miles from.

Imagine being told in a busy hallway of the ER your loved one had been lost, with people walking by, only 10 minutes after your convoy arrived. Imagine the emergency room doctor pulling the curtain back to reveal a loved one who looked like a car wreck victim, bloody face and horrorifically protruding eyeballs, not the "heart attack fatality" you were shocked and still trying to understand in such a short amount of time.

November 4 2024 was traumatic in so many ways.

And so has the unraveling since. Imagine being yelled at at the funeral home by the coroner that an autopsy "wouldn't change his findings" because you wanted answers for the extreme unanswered injuries. Imagine being told by the ER nurse your loved one arrived at the funeral home naked because hospital reports show the coroner threw away the clothes you had requested. Imagine having to sell belongings and memories to pay for the autopsy and final arrangements. Imagine when the autopsy does happen weeks later, it reveal even more horrorific injuries: liver with a huge laceration from behind, internal hemorrhage, brain hemispheres separated, brain contusions, broken nose, an ante mortem bruise on the temple that appeared post mortem. Imagine being told by the forensic pathologist on the phone directly that it was not a fatal heart attack, and his 7 years as Cook County ME experience he was positive it was a blunt force injury from a fall onto the back.

Imagine having to beg the county coroner to allow the cremation to occur, as your loved one had been in a cooler for almost 6 weeks and your family wanted him home for Christmas.

Imagine having all this horror suddenly and inexplicably walked back on and the coroner's "findings" the heart attack again being the cause of death despite all these internal injuries.

Imagine having a loved one killed like this, knowing your loved one should have lived.

Imagine the heavy toll of having your loved one's killers having received zero repercussion.

There are no accurate words for how traumatic, how deeply affective, how shockingly horrorific, and how nauseatingly surreal this entire time has been. The toll it has taken on me and our family has rendered us unable to heal, unable to grieve, unable to move on. I can not count the number of times Ernie's bloody face and bulging eyes have invaded my memories and my dreams.

We simply seek justice and accountability for Ernie, and with that justice and accountability for us as well. We can not heal, we can not move past this until that has occurred.

We can not let this happen to anyone else.