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| Bev Cooper & Alice Gore |
Alice Gore was
living in an
apartment building
owned by Mr. Morris
Esformes. The
apartment building
was at Park Plaza,
6840 N. Sacramento,
Chicago. Alice was
required to divulge
her complete
financial
information when she
moved into his
facility.
Alice had previously
chosen her daughter,
Bev Cooper, to be
her power of
attorney (POA) for
health care and
financial issues.
Bev, in accordance
with Alice’s wishes,
had promised her
mother she wouldn't
place her in a
nursing home, and
would never make a
decision to withhold
medical treatment.
Bev visited her mom
almost daily to help
care for her
mother’s needs .
Bev has a daughter,
Kimberly Cooper, who
was born with
infantile Autism;
she spent her
childhood in and out
of 54 foster homes;
she had
well-documented
psychiatric illness,
and was diagnosed as
a child with
Schizophrenia and
Borderline-Personality
Psychosis with
Suicidal Ideations.
This condition was
known by both the
Lake County and Cook
County courts.
During the
guardianship
proceedings, Bev had
provided the Cook
County Court with
the documentation of
Kimberly’s severe
mental incapacity,
but the court
refused to enter it
into the public
record.
Additionally, Bev
believes that
Kimberly receives
disability benefits
from the government;
this could have been
easily ascertained
by the court.
Karen Bowes was a
business and family
attorney for the
Cooper family for 27
years. She had
represented Kimberly
Cooper in the
juvenile court of
Lake County and was
well aware of the
psychiatric issues
and legal issues
that Kimberly Cooper
endured during
childhood.
After Bev’s mother,
Alice Gore,
had moved into the
Esformes building
and divulged her
financial records,
Karen Bowes
approached Bev.
Karen told Bev that
she should go to
court to seek
guardianship of her
mother, rather than
relying on her Power
of Attorney.
Ms. Bowes stated to
Bev that
“Guardianship trumps
Power of Attorney”,
which is the
opposite of what is
stated by Illinois
law. Illinois law
states that if a
power of attorney is
in place, a guardian
is not required.
Bev followed the
advice of her
long-time attorney.
Bev went to court to
change her Power of
Attorney to Plenary
Guardian.
On January 20,
2006: petition for
guardianship was
entered.
Karen Bowes sent an
attorney named
Miriam Solo to Alice
Gore’s apartment.
Miriam Solo is a
cousin of Morris
Esformes, the
apartment building
owner who required
that Alice divulge
her complete
financial
information when she
moved into his
building.
Miriam Solo
interviewed Alice;
Solo did not allow
Alice’s daughter,
Bev, to participate
in the discussion,
and closed the door
so Bev could not
hear the interview.
Karen Bowes told Bev
that she did not
really know Solo
prior to these
proceedings, and
instructed Bev to
pay Solo $500.00 for
her attorney
services. Bev was
also instructed by
Bowes that she
didn’t need to
attend court
hearings.
On January 24,
2006: Miriam Solo
was appointed by
Judge Lynne Kawamoto
to serve as Guardian
ad Litem on the
case.
Karen Bowes
apparently
facilitated the
appointment of
Miriam Solo as GAL,
telling Bev that
Miriam Solo was just
to be an attorney on
the case. It later
became apparent to
Bev that Bowes and
Solo had a business
relationship during
the preceding ten
years, despite Bowes
having told Bev that
she didn’t really
know Miriam Solo.
Most, if not all, of
Alice Gore’s
financial records
disappeared from her
apartment building
during this time
frame.
Additionally, Karen
Bowes elicited the
legal help of Bruce
Lange, an
attorney/accountant
who works for Harris
Bank and Trust.
Lange and Bowes
instructed Bev to
make repeated trips
to Alice Gore’s bank
to secure Alice’s
bank statements for
them so they could
determine Alice’s
net worth. Despite
the fact that Lange
was paid for his
services as an
attorney, he never
supplied the court
with the financial
information that he
and Bowes had
obtained from Bev.
On February 27,
2006: Kimberly
Cooper,
granddaughter
was appointed as
guardian of the
person and estate
for Alice Gore.
Bev Cooper’s Power
of Attorney was
revoked.
The court is aware
Kimberly Cooper has
a history of
psychiatric
illness.
Subsequent to her
appointment,
Kimberly told her
mother, Bev, that
she intended to
place Alice into
Hospice, a decision
that Alice had many
times told Bev she
did want not
enacted. Alice’s
primary diagnosis
was arthritis, and
she had no
qualifying medical
diagnoses to support
a DNR/Hospice order.
Other medical
decisions made by
Kimberly were of
concern to Bev,
including the
removal of the
Alice’s gold teeth.
Additionally,
Kimberly authorized
the placement of a
feeding G-tube,
while the patient
still had the
ability to eat and
drink without
difficulty.
Alice Gore, the
ward, was removed
from Esformes'
apartment building
to the Carlton on
the Lake
Rehabilitation
Center at 725 W.
Montrose in
Chicago.
Alice Gore was moved
into a nursing home
with which Esformes
had ties, Lakeview
Nursing Rehab, at
735 W. Diversey
Pkwy, Chicago, IL.
Michael Elkes was
administrator at
Lakeview Nursing
Rehab at that time.
Alice Gore's health
declined in this
facility. When Bev
requested an
accurate weight on
her mother, Michael
Elkes contacted
Miriam Solo.
Attempts by Bev to
bring her concerns
about her mother’s
declining condition
to the judge
resulted in her
being restricted
from visiting her
mother without
supervision for a
number of years.
Rehab Assist, which
is owned by Tom
Kleinheinz, was
assigned to
supervise Bev when
she visited her
mother. False
statements were made
by Rehab Assist to
the judge about
Bev’s interactions
with her mother,
resulting in further
visitation
restrictions.
Thomas Kleinheinz,
owner of Rehab
Assist, and his
employees, Melody
(last name unknown)
and Ben Topp were
all participants in
these actions.
Full Article & Source:
New Illinois Victims and their Stories
