Crime Scene Leftovers Pose Problem For Sanitation

Call it the Case of the Bloody Mattress.

City sanitation workers in southwestern Kentucky were recently left with the problem of how to dispose of a bloody mattress put out with the trash.

The mattress came from a home where police say a 37-year-old man appears to have died from self-inflicted stab wounds. The problem came when trash collectors realized they couldn't pick up a potential biohazard, but didn't want to leave it by the side of the road in a residential neighborhood in Hopkinsville.

"This was an area of concern for us because blood is considered a biohazard and not only can our trash trucks not pick it up, but it could be dangerous for people in the community," said George Hampton, a route supervisor for Hopkinsville Solid Waste Authority.

The Kentucky New Era reports that the mattress disappeared by midweek, but sanitation officials didn't take it and were still trying to make sure it was properly disposed of. The location of the mattress remained a mystery at week's end.

Hopkinsville sanitation workers received an anonymous call reporting a mattress, possibly covered in blood, that had been set on a curb outside of a home. That was the concern of the anonymous caller, Hampton said, who said children in the neighborhood could start to play on the mattress and come into contact with the dried blood that might have diseases.

Because there was blood on the mattress, sanitation workers couldn't haul it off with the rest of the trash.

"It raises a question for us about where we take it from here," Hampton said. "Someone has to clean up messes like these and we can't do it."

Solid Waste Superintendent Bill Bailey said sanitation workers aren't allowed to pick up possible biohazards, including blood, from the side of the road. Instead, Bailey said, the department needs to call other landfills to see who will pick up and take the items.

"Sometimes we can process and wrap it in plastic and dispose of it that way. But other times we have to contact a company that deals with disposing of medical waste."

Charlotte Write, a spokeswoman for Stericycle, a national company that specializes in medical waste disposal, said medical waste is generally burned to kill pathogens that can live in dried blood.

"It is important to dispose of all medical waste, especially waste that comes from the body, so as not to spread diseases," Write said.

Hopkinsville Police Chief Guy Howie said the families must clean up the scene of a murder or suicide or pay to have it done.

"It doesn't sound very friendly, I know, but that's just how it has to be handled," Howie said. "Someone has to clean it up and someone has to dispose of all of this, it's just a matter of figuring out who. It's amazing that just one mattress on a curb can raise so many questions."

Someone solved sanitation's problem by taking the mattress from in front of the home. Bailey said sanitation workers didn't remove it, but finding out what became of the mattress is important. It had to be properly sterilized and disposed of.

"We can't just stick it in our landfill and be done with it," Bailey said. "Whether it's on that curb or not, it's still hazardous material."

A local man's company helps families clean up after a death

By MATT GLEASON World Scene Writer

Bill Coye met death in the back of an ambulance as a rookie EMT, one who'd left behind life as an assistant chef to save lives at high speeds. But death didn't care that Coye was trying to keep a heart-attack victim alive.

Death simply brushed right by him to leave Coye riding in a glorified hearse.
Later, as Coye's sweat cooled and his adrenaline waned, he noticed something about the dead man: The second hand on his gold-toned watch was still moving.
In that moment, Coye understood, "Time continues and life goes on."

Years later, Coye is now in his mid-40s and serves as a St. Francis trauma/surgical/ICU nurse. He's also the owner of Apex Bioclean, a
local crime and trauma scene cleanup service. So, in a sense, when second hands sweep over the 6 and 12 long after their owners stop breathing, Coye's cell phone rings and it's time to go to work.

Soon after, Coye's unmarked white van arrives on the scene just as it has for the past 2 ? years. Then he makes his way from the front door to where the dead met their end. Sometimes Coye and his crew arrive on scene to clean
up after a lonely, dead body that was ultimately discovered after days or weeks.
Coye's team also gets the call to handle meth lab cleanup.

Then there are the other kinds of jobs, like cleaning up industrial accidents and "pack rat" properties, where Coye once helped recover $150,000-worth of diamonds lost among 12 tons of trash. Heck, Apex will even remove the stench of a dead skunk found beneath a house, or vanquish the overwhelming smell of a moth-ball-laden
attic.

City and state government employees cannot refer any one company to clean up a crime and trauma scene, Coye said, but officials can provide a list of companies — including Apex — to the victim's family. "How traumatic is that?" Coye asked. "No. 1: to lose a family member in such a violent way, whether it be suicide or homicide with a handgun, hanging, whatever the case may be. And then turn around and have to get on your hands and knees with a brush, a mop, a sponge, and have to clean it up. Friends and family are not prepared emotionally, nor are they prepared technically, to handle the situation."

After all, there's a reason why Coye only hires professionals who can withstand cleaning up the aftermath of, say, a father who killed his two children, or a wife who looked her husband right in the eye before pulling the trigger.

COMPASSION
Bill Coye: “There has to be a professional barrier a little bit to function at the level that we do day after day after day. That doesn’t mean we’re not compassionate
by any stretch of the imagination.” "I can take that (professional) and teach them how to clean these properties," Coye said. "I can't take someone who is not involved as a firefighter, a paramedic, a registered nurse, and teach them what they need to know."

Coye has tried hiring outside of those specialties, but ended up with folks who'd seen too many episodes of "CSI." "It winds up being individuals who like crime scene novels, and want the yellow tape and the chalk outline," he said. "The harsh reality is it's a very difficult job. We're in Tyvek suits, masks, gloves and boots. It's hot. We have to deal with heat stress frequently and we have to stay hydrated.
"And the smells involved," he said, then paused for a second. "If you have anything against maggots, this is certainly nothing for you to do,because we see them virtually on every single scene."

Although Coye hires nurses and other professionals, he made an exceptions for his own son, 17-year-old Taylor. But, as Coye said, the kid's a natural.
As for 23-year-old Natasha Henson, she's Coye's right-hand woman. As a certified nurse's aide, she came to Apex understanding the importance of being empathetic — not sympathetic — to the victims' families, Henson said, because she has no idea what it must feel like for a mother, for instance, to walk into a son's bloodied room and wish she hadn't. "When I first started, it was emotionally draining, but you just have to learn how to separate yourself," she said. "You have to look at the
blood and the guts as: 'That's stuff that needs to be removed, and I need to do it. If I don't, (the family) will. And they don't need to see this.'
"
Thinking about everything he's seen on the job, Coye said, "We all have different defense mechanisms. Although, we can't wear these
stories on our sleeves when we're doing the work — we'd never be able to do the next one.
"There has to be a professional barrier a little bit to function at the level that we do day after day after day. That doesn't mean we're not
compassionate by any stretch of the imagination."
Actually, that compassion carries over to not charging the families of homicide victims.
The man who knows how to get blood spatters out of a wedding dress hung in a victim's closet said, "There is an opportunity for us to
extend our professional services and be a resource for the community."
Not long ago, Coye sat at his dining room table when his cell phone rang.
"Apex Bioclean, this is Bill," he said to the funeral director on the other end of the line.
While Coye jotted notes on a flower company flier, he used his ink pen to direct a visitor's attention to one word: suicide.
Then somewhere in Oklahoma, a second hand swept over the face of a clock as the dead woman's loved ones waited for someone to
wash away tangible reminders of a very bad day.
To visit Apex Bioclean online, visit www.tulsaworld.com/apexbioclean.

Cleaning up after Crime

Once detectives leave and the crime scene tape comes down, families are left to
clean up if a loved one is murdered or commits suicide. Now APEX BioClean LLC is
prepared to step in to help.
Owner Bill Coye founded APEX BioClean LLC in November 2005. A medical
professional for 16 years, working both as a critical care nurse and paramedic.
Coye has responded to hundreds of crime scenes and witnessed first hand the
grief and trauma families experience following such a tragedy. With the rise in
violent crime and suicides, Coye concluded there is a serious need for a professional service to help victims.
“Losing a loved one is very difficult but having to clean up after a tragedy is like being victimized twice. Many people
believe that police or paramedics clean up after a traumatic event. The truth is that friends and family have been the
ones to bear this burden,” explains Coye.
Coye says not only can it be traumatic, but crime scenes also pose a big health risk as they often involve potentially
hazardous substances.
“A body that has decomposed over days or weeks represents a real danger to clean up to anyone other than a
professional biohazard cleanup service. The mess, as well as the smell, can be overwhelming. Blood borne pathogens,
HIV, Hepatitis A. B and C to name a few, are a very real threat and need to be handled by a professional such as Apex to
ensure proper removal and disposal. The Centers for Disease Control website lists 28 diseases that can be contracted
while in the hospital. Just think of what can grow after a week or two on the scene of a human decomposition,” explains
Coye.
He says that is why it’s crucial that a trained professional cleans up after the scene of a crime or unforeseen death. When
a private citizen takes on the responsibility, it can create a health risk for the public.
“Where does the human tissue, bloody bedding and carpet go after a gunshot suicide? the trash can or dumpster. Kids
love to play around dumpsters. There are blood borne pathogens that can live for weeks outside of the body. A
professional biohazard cleanup service must be used to ensure proper cleaning, removal and disposal of all contaminated
materials,” explains Coye.
Federal OSHA regulations state that all blood and bodily fluids must be treated as contaminated. The staff of APEX
BioClean brings years of medical experience to each one of these scenes. The company is compliant with all OSHA
guidelines and all disinfectants have received FDA approval.
Bill Coye has received the most comprehensive training and all staff is certified in biohazard decontamination. APEX
BioClean LLC is listed as a certified company with the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration.
The mission of APEX BioClean LLC is to provide a safe, professional and compassionate service to families.
“Not one family member should have to clean up after a violent or unforeseen death. Our clients are treated with the
dignity and respect they deserve,” added Coye.
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Cleaning Up A Crime Scene

Family members have plenty to deal with when a loved one is killed, but when police finish investigating a crime scene someone has to clean it up.

Natasha Henson is a nurse technician by day. At night, she is a crime scene cleaner for Apex BioClean. Natasha will clean up a scene where someone was the victim of a deadly crime. Natasha Henson admits it is a difficult job, physically and emotionally.

”No one should be traumatized twice. So meaning, brother goes in to his room and kills himself. His mother shouldn't have to clean him up. That's where we come in," says Natasha Henson.

By the time Natasha is called in to clean, police have finished their work. The body is gone, but all remnants of the crime must be cleaned.

"Just the glossy light color, but it still has the little bit of a red tinge. But it still looks like spinal fluid. That's exactly what it looks like," says Natasha Henson.

She says the area that needs cleaning depends on the size of the contaminated area.

"The bullet goes in. If it comes out, it splatters everywhere. Ceilings, into other rooms, into drawers, anything that's open,” says Natasha Henson.

Natasha dresses in a full body suit, protecting her eyes, hands and mouth.

Once carpets are pulled out, a special vacuum sucks up what is left over. Then, the floor is scrubbed. Everything used in the process is tossed in a biohazard bin and destroyed.

Natasha Henson says hopefully, all the memories of what happened will go away, too.

Cost of a crime scene cleanup depends on how much work has to be done.