State Bar of Michigan recognizes 1976 Ann Arbor VA Hospital case as Michigan Legal Milestone
The State Bar of Michigan will recognize a 1976 case involving deaths at the Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Hospital as the 45th Michigan Legal Milestone.
The case, which was presided over by Judge Phillip Pratt and resulted in a rare Judgement Notwithstanding the Verdict, will be commemorated with a bronze plaque and community celebration at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the Philippine American Community Center of Michigan in Southfield.
This event will include speeches from University of Michigan lecturer Roland Hwang, Michigan State University professor Geraldine Zeldes, SBM President Lisa Hamameh, Judge Jacquelyn McClinton of the 36th District Court, and SBM executive director Peter Cunningham. Light refreshments featuring Filipino cuisine will be served, and a bronze plaque commemorating the Milestone will be unveiled. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register here to attend the event.
“The case is notable for it illustrates investigative techniques surrounding the deaths of VA Hospital patients, community engagement and activism in support of the two Filipino nurse defendants — and most importantly, the courage and wisdom of Judge Pratt to make a ruling, setting aside a jury verdict in the interest of fairness and justice,” said Hwang, who nominated the case for recognition as a Michigan Legal Milestone.
In 1975, at least 10 patients at Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Hospital died after being injected with the powerful muscle relaxant, Pavulon, which can be fatal in large enough doses. The FBI investigation that followed these deaths identified Leonora Perez and Filipina Narciso, two nurses at the hospital who were also Filipino immigrants, as suspects.
The federal case went before Judge Pratt of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in 1976, and quickly caught public attention due to the circumstantial nature of the evidence against the nurses. The FBI also offered no evidence or motive in the case.
Defense attorney Thomas C. O’Brien believed the FBI targeted the women because they were Filipino immigrants and that “the FBI had a high-profile case they could solve” in the wake of the disappearance of former Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa in Detroit.
The case, which was highly publicized in both the Philippines and the United States, made the front page of the New York Times, and was reported on by Walter Cronkite of CBS News. The case caused significant strain between the two nation’s governments.
In 1977, a jury acquitted Narciso of the one charge of murder, but both Perez and Narciso were convicted of three counts of poisoning. Later that year, after granting a defense request, Judge Pratt overturned the jury’s ruling and ordered a new trial, saying that the prosecution’s “persistent misconduct,” which included improprieties in arguments made during the trial as well as improper communication with witnesses, press, and jury, resulted in “overwhelming prejudice to the defendants.”
Prosecutors never tried the case again, and no other charges were ever filed for the murders. On February 1, 1978, the United States formally moved to dismiss the charges against Perez and Narciso.
Michigan Legal Milestones are adopted by the State Bar of Michigan of Commissioners upon recommendation from a committee of volunteer attorneys. Milestones recognize significant people and legal cases in Michigan history. Bronze plaques are dedicated in local communities to commemorate the significance of each Michigan Legal Milestone.
To learn more about Michigan Legal Milestones, including past milestones, visit the Michigan Legal Milestones page at michbar.org.
Posted: March 13, 2026