A nurse was charged Tuesday with causing the death of a chronically ill East Hempfield boy while caring for him in 2002.

Joy O'Shea-Woomer, 48, of Valley Drive, was charged with criminal homicide and two other felonies for giving 11-year-old Brent Weaver a "lethal dose" of morphine, investigators said.

Woomer was substituting for Brent's regular nurse on the night of Sept. 26 and the following morning when she administered the morphine, according to court documents.

Multiple doctors concluded that Brent was given the morphine between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. — a period when Woomer had "sole custody" of the boy, investigators said.

The boy's parents, Mark and Carol Weaver, were asleep, and no one else came in contact with him during those overnight hours, a police affidavit says.

Brent was not prescribed to take morphine, and Woomer wasn't authorized to dispense the drug to him, a police affidavit says.

Woomer, who continued to practice as a nurse until her arrest, was at Lancaster County Prison on Tuesday night, held without bail.

Woomer also served as music director at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church on Columbia Avenue in East Hempfield until being arrested, officials said.

She was charged with criminal homicide, drug delivery and drug delivery resulting in death.

Morphine is a highly potent drug that acts directly on the central-nervous system to relieve pain, according to medical definition.

A six-year investigation included an exhumation of Brent's body for autopsy and numerous medical opinions on when the morphine was administered and its effects, the affidavit shows.

District Attorney Craig Stedman was angry Tuesday when speaking of the delay between Brent's death and the charges.

"There is nothing about the delay that pleases us," Stedman said. "All I can tell you is, the truth is, I only found out about this recently. All we can do is move forward. We are doing what we believe is right."

The delay "doesn't diminish the loss of life or the criminal activity we are alleging," Stedman added.

When contacted by telephone Tuesday evening, the Weavers had no comment on the investigation into their son's death.

"At this time, we're not going to be chatting," Carol Weaver said.

Stedman spoke of the family, saying "this has been a long road for them."

"The family has been enduring this for a number of years. Hopefully, this will present some closure," Stedman said. He said the family was in contact with police during the six-year gap.

Brent Weaver had cerebral palsy, seizure disorder and spastic paraplegia, which required him to use a feeding tube. The boy needed "constant care," Stedman said.

A licensed practical nurse with Bayada Nurses typically cared for Brent since 2001, the Weavers told police.

Woomer told police she was notified on short notice about the fill-in position at the Weaver home on Sept. 26, 2002.

Woomer told police, "she was not into doing it," but needed the money, according to a police affidavit. Woomer had separated from her husband and "times were hard," she told police.

The events that led to Brent's death are outlined as follows in the affidavit:

Carol Weaver gave her son medication and put him to bed about 9 p.m. Brent was "laughing, happy and acting normal" just before falling asleep, Carol Weaver later told police.

Woomer arrived about 11 p.m. at the Weaver home on Christine Lane. Carol Weaver greeted her at the front door and provided instructions.

Mark and Carol Weaver and their other children slept upstairs while Brent slept in a downstairs bedroom. Woomer stayed in the downstairs living room area overnight.

About 6 a.m., the Weavers were awakened by Woomer repeatedly screaming, "He's not responding."

The parents rushed to Brent's bedroom and found him "limp and gray." Woomer performed CPR on the boy until police and medics responded to Mark Weaver's 911 call.

All the while, Woomer had no answers to the parents' questions about what happened overnight.

Brent Weaver was pronounced dead about 7 a.m. at Lancaster General Hospital.

Blood-test results revealed Brent had a high level of morphine in his system when he died, so a full autopsy was ordered.

Brent's body was exhumed on Nov. 12, 2002. Dr. Wayne Ross examined the boy's liver during the autopsy and again found a high level of morphine. He determined death was caused by acute morphine intoxication and the manner of death was ruled homicide.

A homicide investigation was then launched involving East Hempfield police, county detectives and medical professionals.

Carol Weaver was ruled out as a suspect when medical professionals told police the boy would have been rendered lethargic — rather than laughing and happy — with such a dosage. Also, Woomer told police no one else came in contact with the boy overnight.

The affidavit shows that Woomer became a suspect when police interviewed her superiors. They said Woomer was familiar with morphine and was authorized to dispense it to two other Hospice patients around the time of Brent's death.

Steve Knoub, CEO of Hospice of Lancaster County, told detectives it was possible for nurses to "pilfer" morphine for their own use without anyone knowing — if they were authorized to handle it. Woomer was so authorized in those two other cases, the affidavit says.

Woomer hasn't admitted to giving Brent morphine, according to court documents.

She told police she checked on Brent three to four times that night because he was restless and moaning.

At 6 a.m., Woomer went into Brent's room and found him blue on the bed. Woomer tried to awaken the boy and checked for a pulse but found none.

Stedman didn't elaborate on questions that Brent's death was a "mercy killing." The DA said that claim, if presented, will be disputed in court in upcoming months.

Assistant District Attorney Karen Mansfield will handle those court proceedings.

E-mail: bhambright@lnpnews.com