A former nurse accused of sexually assaulting a 73-year-old patient at Grady Memorial Hospital will remain in jail after a judge ruled there is enough evidence for his case to proceed.
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Chappell Lee, who worked as a nurse at Grady Memorial Hospital, is accused of sexually assaulting Eva Lay while she was a patient in the hospital’s intensive care unit. The alleged incident occurred after Lay was diagnosed with heart failure in October 2024.
During a court hearing, prosecutors presented footage of an interview with Lay accusing Lee of assault as evidence.
Prosecutors described the body camera footage as “essentially Ms. Lay’s dying declaration,” stating that she told them exactly what happened to her.
During the hearing, Lee did not speak but was observed shaking his head as he listened to the allegations against him.
His lawyer argued that there is no DNA evidence linking Lee to the reported sexual assault and contested claims regarding surveillance video that allegedly showed Lee entering Lay’s room and closing the door for nearly 13 minutes.
The defense highlighted that Lee voluntarily provided a DNA sample, which they claim has not resulted in any significant findings.
Prosecutors emphasized the vulnerability of Lay at the time of the alleged assault, noting that her children were not by her bedside.
Chappell Lee remains in jail without bond as the case moves forward.
Eva Lay later died due to unrelated health issues, but her family believes she suffered from mental health issues as a result of what they say happened.
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