CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WV News) – U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., on Friday spoke with Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs Michael Missal, where she received an update on the Clarksburg VA investigation regarding serial killer Reta Mays.

“I appreciate Inspector General Missal for taking the time to answer some of my questions today following Reta Mays’ guilty plea earlier this month,” Capito said.

“First and foremost, the families of these victims deserve answers. While we are making progress, there are still many questions out there that need to be addressed, and I’m committed to making sure that happens,” Capito said.

“I understand Inspector General Missal and his team are in the process of completing a report that will provide more information, which I look forward to reviewing,” Capito said.

“In the meantime, it is important that we make sure our veterans receive the best care possible, feel safe while receiving care at our West Virginia VA medical facilities, and tragedies like this never, ever happen again.”

Mays, of Reynoldsville, recently pleaded guilty to seven counts of second-degree murder and one count of assault with intent to commit murder in the deaths of eight military veterans who were patients at the hospital either in 2017 or 2018.

Mays, 46, of Reynoldsville, is awaiting sentencing. U.S. Attorney Bill Powell intends to request seven consecutive life sentences, and 20 more years for the assault charge, while the attorneys for Mays are likely to seek to mitigate the sentence to something that would allow her release from prison sometime late in life.

There also are five lawsuits pending in which families of the deceased are seeking compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The federal agency, through the Department of Justice, has denied any liability.