A workers comp claim filed by a Second Chance Homes of Fulton employee claims the employee was a witness in a murder investigation, according to documents uncovered by KMIZ ABC 17.
The Missouri Department of Labor has not yet responded to a Fulton Sun sunshine law request for that document.
An ABC 17 reporter claims the 12-page document was filed last year and does not specifically mention Carl DeBrodie.
The employee "became a witness in a murder investigation involving one of the consumers whom (she) supervised and was asked to spend time alone with another client who had confessed to the murder," ABC 17 quoted the claim as stating. The claim's injury date is listed as Feb. 28, 2017.
Fulton Police Chief Steve Myers said Monday that prior to Saturday, he was not aware of the worker's comp claim. He said based on his department's investigation, he knows some of the information contained in the claim is incorrect. However, he declined to comment on the specific information.
"A work comp claim is apparently pending," he said. "We may have to, at some point, address that in court. I think that's where we need to address it at, not in the news."
Myers said, to his knowledge - aside from the DeBrodie investigation - there have been no other death investigations involving Second Chance in Fulton.
DeBrodie, 31, initially was reported missing April 17, 2017. The developmentally disabled man lived at a supported-living facility managed at that time by Second Chance Homes of Fulton. On April 24, 2017, police found his decomposed body wrapped in plastic and encased in concrete in a Fulton storage unit.
On the day he was reported missing, management of the facility and care of its residents transferred to Finck & Associates. Finck & Associates is also named in the claim, ABC 17 reported.
"Finck & Associates were not involved in DeBrodie's care at the time he went missing and have been extremely cooperative with our investigation," Lt. Bill Ladwig of the Fulton Police Department said in April 2017.
No arrests have been made in the DeBrodie case. Myers said his department is currently waiting on prosecutors involved in the case to issue charges.
An attorney representing DeBrodie's mother and aunt filed a wrongful death civil suit in January. In the suit, their lawyer Rudy Veit stated DeBrodie's death resulted from a dangerous condition of property at Second Chance Homes, and Second Chance employees failed to adequately supervise DeBrodie and the other residents.
On April 4, a lawyer for Second Chance Homes of Fulton, LLC, and its owner Rachel Rowden filed a response to the suit denying its allegations.
"Plaintiffs' damages, if any, were caused or contributed to by Plaintiffs' or Carl Lee Debrodie's own negligence, which negligence bars or diminishes his right to recovery," lawyer C. Zachary Vaughn stated.