In a tragic story out of Orange County, Florida comes the end of a precious life: Cathy “Sue” Weaver. In August of 2001, Sue was brutally raped and murdered in her home after contracting a major department store to clean her home’s air ducts. She trusted Burdines to send reputable employees, those who were well-trained, were not of a sinister character, and who would leave her home in better condition than when they arrived.
What Sue instead received was a pair of criminals that were hired by Burdines to clean air ducts in homes. These criminals had spent time in jail for crimes such as robbery and assault. One of the two employees was a twice-convicted sex felon. No employment screening or criminal background check was performed on any of their employees prior to hiring them.
The death of Sue Weaver will not be in vain, however. Her sister, Lucia Bone, has started a non-profit organization called C.A.U.S.E. (Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment) to stop the practice of allowing convicted criminals to enter our homes and have the chance to hurt us. Her sister’s legacy, one of art, a love for her embroidery business, and a smile that would outshine the sun, has prompted Lucia to never stop in her quest to ensure the safety of consumers everywhere.
Unfortunately, Sue Weaver is not the only case of a criminal entering someone’s home under the premise of performing a service. Several other shocking cases mentioned on the CAUSE Web site draws even more attention to the urgency of making sure that companies hire only those employees who have passed rigorous employment screening and criminal background check tests:
• Melissa Danielle Jennings was murdered by Calvin Oliver, the apartment complex maintenance man. Little did she know that Oliver was a convicted rapist. His criminal record of nearly 20 years included violent crimes such as armed robbery, burglary, and credit card fraud. Because the apartment complex never performed a criminal background check, he was given the perfect opportunity to carry out the crime.
• Mary Ruth Bales was beaten to death in her home by a plumber she hired named Wesley Purkey. He had been in prison for 25 years prior to the crime for various violent felonies; no background check was performed by the plumbing company who hired him.
• Dr. Kim Fang was murdered by Mesa Kasem and an accomplice while they were working as delivery men for an auction company that Dr. Fang had hired. Kasem was a gang member and convicted felon; no background check or employment screening was ordered prior to hiring him.
• Dr. Kerry Spooner-Dean was stabbed to death in her home by Jerrol Woods who was hired to clean her carpets. Woods was on parole at the time after spending 12-years in prison for armed robbery. America’s Best Carpet Care did not conduct a background check prior to hiring him.
Sue Weaver’s tragic death, in addition to other cases that have occurred, have brought light to the dark world of service-based industries. Employment screening and a criminal background check were lacking in each and every situation. If Lucia Bone can save the life of just one consumer through her efforts with CAUSE, then her sister’s death was not in vain. Employers, always perform background checks through screening companies like Accu-Screen to keep your customers safe. Consumers, always ask your service providers if they screen their employees before allowing them to come into your home!
