MEDINA, Ohio — Bill and Richard Selong have wonderful memories of their mom, Edith Selong, who lived a long life and survived two pandemics— the Spanish Flu and COVID-19.
"She was two weeks away from her 105th birthday. She was married to my dad (Joseph Selong) for 74 years. He passed away in 2015," Bill Selong said. "She was a great mom, took great care of my brother and myself."
To celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary several years ago, Edith received a gold and diamond wedding set from Joseph.
It's worth about $10,000, but it was the sentimental value that was precious to Edith.
"These were things that meant something to her, not just because of what they were worth, but because of what they meant symbolically," Bill Selong said as he fought back tears.
But during a January visit to Western Reserve Masonic Community in Medina Township— where Edith was a resident/patient— the Selong family noticed the rings were missing from her hand.
Relatives at first assumed the rings had been lost, but they were outraged when detectives determined the heirloom jewelry was stolen right off of the elderly woman's hand.
"My mom was like a child. In fact, as far as I'm concerned at 104, she had no idea what was going on," Richard Selong said.
While detectives continued to investigate the crime, Edith passed away about two months after the rings disappeared.
Police also learned that another wedding ring had been stolen off the finger of an 89-year-old woman at the same facility. She, too, has since died.
"Without being too graphic, it appears they were virtually on their deathbed, and to the best of our knowledge, the pieces of jewelry were physically removed from their body," said Medina County Prosecutor Forrest Thompson.
After a lengthy investigation, which included interviews and retrieving surveillance video from the continuing care retirement community, police identified two suspects: Kevin Essig, 36, and Jasmin Weir, 29, both of Canton.
According to Medina Township Police Chief John Minek, the suspects were former employees of connectRN working as contract workers for Western Reserve Masonic Community.
Essig worked as a licensed practical nurse (LPN), and Weir worked as a state-tested nurse aide (STNA).
A Medina County grand jury indicted them on multiple felony charges: robbery, burglary and theft from a person in a protected class.
"We'd just like to share again publicly with the families how saddened we are that this happened under our watch. It is unconscionable," said Jason French, president of Western Reserve Masonic Community.
French said the suspects are now on a "do not return list", but added that no red flags surfaced during background checks of Essig and Weir.
"Not on our end. That would be something that would need to be a question for connectRN. They were a contracted agency," French said.
News 5 called and e-mailed connectRN for comment and an employment status update on the suspects. There wasn't a response as of Thursday evening.
Calls were also made to the attorneys representing Essig and Weir.
Essig's attorney, Michael Goebl, said he had no comment at this time. The attorney for Weir has not returned a voicemail message.
When asked about potential investigations, Ken Gordon, a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Health, said, "The Ohio Department of Health cannot comment on ongoing or potential investigations. There have been no actions taken against the individuals in the past."
When asked if the suspects could be involved in similar crimes at other facilities, Thompson said, "I don't think anything is off the table. The best indicator of someone's conduct is their past conduct," Thompson said. "We will follow the evidence wherever it takes us and we will aggressively prosecute these individuals."
Thompson would not elaborate when asked if investigators are still looking for the jewelry, but the Selong family said they don't have the rings back. They hope that changes so the jewelry can stay in the family.
"I would hope that someone would look at this as if it were their mom," Bill Selong said.
———
UPDATE: On April 30, 2024, Medina Township police told News 5 that all three rings have been recovered and returned to the families of the victims.
