Inset: James Showmaker (McMikle Funeral Home). Background: The Missouri home where James Showmaker was being cared for when he fatally choked on a turkey burger and fries (Google Maps).
A Missouri man who had a "severe risk of choking without proper supervision" due to a rare disability was given a turkey burger and fries by a caregiver who left the room and then returned — telling him, "go throw it up" — as he started to choke, a lawsuit says.
James Showmaker, 57, of St. Louis, was left brain dead as a result of the "terrifying and painful" ordeal and was taken off life support three days later by his sister and family, who are now suing the caregiver, Tara Whitehead, and the Easterseals facility he was staying at in June 2025, according to their legal petition.
"James never should have died in this way," the petition says. "His ISP (Individual Service Plan) clearly spells out that he should be monitored during eating to confirm he is counting to 20 between bites. Tara Whitehead admitted she did not do that."
According to the family, Showmaker was "born with and suffered from" a rare disability called Prader-Willi Syndrome, or PWS. They say a "hallmark symptom" of PWS is hyperphagia which is an intense, persistent sensation of hunger accompanied by food preoccupations; an extreme drive to consume food; food related behavior problems; and a lack of normal satiety.
"PWS does not just affect the amount of food they consume but also impacts the speed at which they eat," the petition explains. "People with PWS have reduced muscle strength, including the muscles in their throats used for swallowing. Coupled with their developmental propensity for aggressively seeking out and consuming food, people with PWS are at a massive risk of choking or overeating to the point of danger when their food access and intake is not closely monitored and controlled."
Proper supervision of eating is critical, according to Showmaker's family, and often requires that the person with PWS is fed with their food "precut into small bites, that a supervisor watches them eat, and/or that a supervisor requires them to do a task such as count to 20 or turn playing cards over in between each bite of food," per the petition.
On June 20, 2025, Whitehead was assigned as "fill in staff" at the Easterseals PWS home in Crestwood where Showmaker lived and was being looked after. "She gave him a turkey burger and fries," the petition says. "She admitted that she left the room after doing so in direct contravention of James' ISP."
Showmaker began coughing, choking and making "agonizing moans" that Whitehead heard and prompted her to return. "She told him to go 'throw it up' even though people with PWS do not typically throw up," the petition says. "If they do, that is serious cause for concern and a trip to the hospital, but Easterseals clearly did not adequately train or supervise Ms. Whitehead in her job duties."
Showmaker collapsed from the lack of oxygen, and Whitehead called 911. She allegedly didn't know the phone number to the Easterseals home where they were. On top of that, Whitehead failed to unlock the front door to let police and EMS inside, "so precious seconds were lost while James was deprived of oxygen," the petition states.
"James's brain was deprived of oxygen for too long," the document alleges. "When he arrived at the hospital he was brain dead. James suffered immensely through the whole ordeal."
According to his family, Showmaker suffered seizures and he developed sepsis after his hospitalization. He died three days later after being taken off life support.
"This is a case about an organization that families and the public entrust to supervise their parents, children, and siblings," the legal petition states. "Despite that enormous amount of trust, Easterseals negligently trains and supervises its employees who are tasked with monitoring the activities of people, like James, who have conditions that make them a danger to themselves."
According to Showmaker's family, Whitehead has admitted that Easterseals never required her to read Showmaker's ISP. "If it provided any training regarding PWS to her at all, such training was severely lacking," their petition says. "After all, Easterseals had assigned her as 'fill in staff.'"
Showmaker's family says his ISP explicitly stated that "one of the most important things to know is FOOD is the KILLER" and caregivers must protect Showmaker "from avoidable death and harm to himself," per the petition.
"When James is eating, he needs to set his fork down between bites and count to 20 or flip over 20 cards," the ISP allegedly stated. "In order to ensure that James counts to twenty or flips over twenty playing cards between bites, an employee must stand by his side while he is eating. If they do not, he is at a serious risk of eating his food too quickly and choking."
Easterseals could not be reached for comment Sunday. Valerie Hoven, vice president of communications for Easterseals Midwest, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the organization cannot comment on pending litigation. She declined to comment on whether Whitehead, who could not be reached for comment, still works for the group.
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