Yvonne Krumrey

A former Juneau chiropractor accused of assaulting a dozen women under the guise of medical care took the stand this week.

Jeffrey Fultz testified that he performed legitimate procedures while working at Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Juneau. The former patients accusing him of assault say the incidents took place during medical appointments between 2014 and 2020. 

“(The) truth is that I was doing the very best I could for the patients I get to work with,” Fultz testified.

In the last few weeks, the jury has heard from medical practitioners, expert witnesses and Fultz’s former colleagues. Some of them said providers should avoid touching women’s breasts and rears during treatment, while others said there are legitimate medical practices that involve touching those sensitive areas.

Fultz denied allegations that he told patients they had to undress fully for treatment, that he intentionally walked in on them while they were undressed and that he limited access to appropriate coverings during treatments. 

Several women testified to some or all of these allegations earlier in the trial.

Defense attorney James Christie asked Fultz directly about the allegations against him.

“In performing treatment, was your purpose or intention ever to seek sexual gratification?” Christie said.

“No, no,” Fultz said.

He also claimed that followed informed consent practices, and echoed their importance.

“Do you yourself have conversations with your patients about what to expect?” Christie said.

“Yes,” Fultz said. “Consent is an ongoing process.”

The women accusing him of assault said he did not tell or ask them in advance of touching sensitive areas of their bodies. 

Fultz was first arrested in 2021, but it took four years for the case to go to trial. He has been out on bail since his arrest and living in Colorado. The trial against him is in its sixth week. 

Testimony is wrapping up in the coming days, and attorneys are expected to give the jury closing arguments soon. 

The Indian Health Services established a hotline for callers to report suspected child abuse or sexual abuse by calling 1-855-SAFE-IHS (855-723-3447) or submitting a complaint online on the IHS.gov website. The hotline may be used to report any type of suspected child abuse within the IHS, or any type of sexual abuse regardless of the age of the victim. The person reporting by phone or online may remain anonymous.

Locally, people can call AWARE in Juneau at 907-586-1090.

Friday marked the end of the third week of a sexual assault trial against former SEARHC chiropractor Jeffrey Fultz, who stands accused of abusing patients in Juneau between 2014 and 2020. 

Presiding Judge Larry Woolford declared a mistrial Wednesday for two of the 16 sexual assault and harassment charges. Fultz will continue to stand trial for the remaining 14 charges.

The mistrial happened because a witness testified that she had experienced misconduct from Fultz beyond what she had previously testified to on record. The witness is an alleged victim of sexual assault and has not been publicly identified outside of the courtroom. KTOO is not identifying her in this story.

Woolford ruled that state prosecutors withheld information from the court and Fultz’s attorneys, which then came up in the witness’s testimony in front of jurors.

“After an objection by the defense, it became clear that the prosecution knew of [the witness’s] allegation at least as early as the day before her testimony in court but intentionally withheld the allegation from the defense,” Woolford’s order states.

The jurors have been told to disregard that witness testimony.

Fultz’s defense attorney James Christie said the prosecutors intentionally withheld the witness’s disclosure. 

“We are entitled to have all of the evidence that is in the state’s possession ahead of time,” he said. “There’s no question about that.” 

Prosecutor Krystyn Tendy said she thinks Woolford’s ruling is assuming that the prosecutors had bad intentions. 

“The state disagrees with the characterization of the bad faith analysis that the judge conducted,” she said.

The charges can be retried if state prosecutors choose to pursue them again. Tendy said they are still deciding how to move forward with these charges. 

This week, the court also heard from two people who have been mentioned a lot in the trial so far — two medical providers that worked with Jeffrey Fultz in SEARHC’s physical therapy department at the time of the alleged crimes.

The women accusing Fultz of assault repeatedly contrasted Fultz’s treatment — the amount of touching, the places he touched, and the way he encouraged them to take their clothes off — with the treatment they received from these two providers. 

Emily Haskell is a physical therapist who worked in SEARHC’s physical therapy department. The prosecution asked how she approaches patients with a history of sexual trauma — something a few of the alleged victims told Fultz they experienced.

“I think especially if someone has had experienced sexual or interpersonal trauma, I think I was a lot more cautious with if I was going to touch them,” Haskell said. “Probably a lot more cautious with asking them to, you know, pull their shirt down to look at their shoulder, or pull their pant leg up, or something like that.”

Haskell said she doesn’t give massages to patients in the course of her physical therapy treatments.

“Because it really is not within the scope of practice of physical therapy. I’m trying to find, like, dysfunctional or painful spots in muscles, sometimes a whole muscle itself,” she said. “But I think of massage therapy as like a more broad and less direct approach to managing muscle tension.”

A massage therapist with SEARHC, Amanda James, also worked with some of Fultz’s patients. 

She said she would work with patients on their comfortability level with covering their bodies.

“If you’re not comfortable taking off certain clothing, or any, that’s okay,” James said she told patients. “I can work over the sheets.”

James said she wouldn’t ask a patient to disrobe fully to treat upper body issues. She said she always does work on the glute muscles over sheets and as a rule, doesn’t work on muscles in the groin area. 

Fultz’s defense asked James if any of the alleged victims she treated complained to her about their treatment with Fultz. She testified that they did not.

The trial was scheduled through Friday, but it’s continuing into another week. The state has called about two dozen witnesses — each alleged victim, partners of complainants, medical experts, former SEARHC employees and one Juneau police detective. The state rested its case Friday. 

The defense began calling its witnesses Friday. The trial is expected to wrap up at the end of next week.

This was the second week of testimony in the trial against Jeffrey Fultz, a former Juneau chiropractor who is accused of assaulting more than a dozen women under the guise of medical care. 

This week, the jurors heard from more complainants — alleged victims. Thirteen women have accused former Juneau chiropractor Jeffrey Fultz of touching them inappropriately and without their consent while they sought treatment for pain and injuries. As of Thursday afternoon, we heard from most of them. 

They testified that they felt discomfort during their appointments. Some said their experiences with Fultz caused them to avoid medical care later. 

Rebecca Parkey testified on Friday. She worked at Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium and saw Fultz for treatment of recurring migraines. She said she was uncomfortable with the way he touched her, but she assumed he must have been acting within the bounds of medical care. She kept going back to treat her pain.

“Every time I walked down the hill, I kept questioning myself, like, ‘what are you doing?’” Parkey said. “‘Why are you going back?’ And then I would argue with myself, like, stop being crazy.”

Defense attorney James Christie asked Parkey to compare her care with Fultz to that of other chiropractors and massage therapists she’s seen, including when she lived in Missouri. 

“And the chiropractor in Kansas City, who you really liked, they didn’t do massage therapy? Well, your chiropractor, I mean?” Christie asked.

“No, because he wasn’t a massage therapist. And technically, neither was Jeff,” Parkey said.

Tori Talley, another woman who testified, was in her early 20s when she was treated by Fultz. She said he touched her in sensitive places, making her very uncomfortable. But like Parkey, she doubted herself. 

Prosecutor Jessalyn Gillum asked Talley if Fultz asked for permission or warned her that he would touch those areas.

“Do you remember if at any point the discussion of touching sensitive areas of your body — did that ever come up with Mr. Fultz prior to that last appointment, when he was doing the massage?” Gillum asked.

“No,” Talley said.

“Did you give any consent to that part of your body being touched, even for medical purposes?” Gillum asked. 

“Absolutely not,” Talley said.

Talley said experience with Fultz caused her to avoid all medical care in general.

“I took a break from seeing anyone at SEARHC and a long break from physical therapy,” she said. 

“How did that affect your symptoms, if at all?” asked Gillum.

“I definitely had a lot more headaches, and I stopped seeing all providers, and I developed really bad anxiety, and I developed a panic disorder, and not being able to see my providers,” Talley said.

During cross-examination, Fultz’s lawyers pointed out that Talley had anxiety and panic disorders before seeing Fultz. She said they escalated after her experience and break from medical care. 

Marcy Sowers was a Fultz patient in 2014. She said she worried at the time that confronting him or avoiding physical therapy appointments with him could jeopardize her ability to access health care in the future. 

“Your PT was linked in with your compliance with everything else,” she said.

Defense attorney Wally Tetlow quoted her telling the police years ago that she would have acted if Fultz was being inappropriate.

“Did you say you would have run to [Juneau police] quicker than quick if Fultz touched you inappropriately? He never crossed the line with anything inappropriate did he?,” he asked. 

“He flirted with the line,” Sowers said.

Proceedings are scheduled to continue for at least one more week. 

Dozens of Juneau residents gathered at the police station on Saturday to protest a violent arrest last week.

A video of the arrest generated public concern on social media. It showed a Juneau police officer handcuffing an Alaska Native man, then throwing him to the ground where he appears to lie unconscious for the remainder of the video.

Since, the man’s family has identified him publicly as Christopher Williams Jr. The police department has not released the name of the officer.

Protesters offered condolences to the man’s family and expressed their outrage, including X’ash Kugé ka Yaanasax Barbara Cadiente-Nelson.

“We’re here to hold this system accountable to the words they took an oath to to protect, to serve,” she said. 

Williams’ cousin, Pamela James, said his family didn’t know where Williams was for a full day after they heard he was medivaced for care. She confirmed that Williams was in Anchorage Thursday evening after calling multiple Seattle and Anchorage hospitals. She said he is conscious and speaking.

James said Williams plans to sue JPD. She said her family will continue to speak up.

“We’re not doing it just for Chris, but we’re doing it for everybody that’s been hurt by our cops here in town,” James said.

Assembly Member Paul Kelly was at the protest and said it’s important that the City and Borough of Juneau work to restore trust in the community after a violent arrest. 

“Whenever we have an emergency, whenever we need somebody to intervene, we need it to be somebody that we can trust,” he said. “We need to be able to trust our police force.”

Protestor Ḵáaḵ’utx̱éich Kai Monture said that Lingít people have to support and protect each other, and abide by traditional values of perseverance and community support. 

“Even though asking for police reform is important and something we need to fight for every day, it’s not guaranteed,” he said. “It’s not guaranteed that it’ll happen, but what is guaranteed is that we can protect each other.”

JPD says the officer has since been placed on administrative leave. Officials from the City and Borough of Juneau and JPD say there will be an external investigation of the violent arrest.

Content warning: This article includes mentions of sexual assault and abuse that may be uncomfortable for some readers. Resources are available at the bottom of this post.

The trial against former Juneau chiropractor Jeffrey Fultz, accused of assaulting more than a dozen women under the guise of medical care, is underway. KTOO reporter Yvonne Krumrey breaks down the first few days of witness testimony with reporter Clarise Larson. 

Listen:

Clarise Larson: Where are we in the trial now?

Yvonne Krumrey: After two weeks of jury selection and Tuesday’s opening statements, the trial is now really in full force. That means we are starting to hear from expert witnesses and alleged victims. This will likely be the bulk of the next two weeks: both the state prosecutor and Jeffrey Fultz’s defense team will be using these witnesses to try and establish their side of the story.

Clarise Larson: Tell me more about the opposing sides. What did the attorneys say during opening statements? 

Yvonne Krumrey: The state is arguing that Fultz used his position as a medical provider at Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium to gain access to vulnerable women and assault them when they sought medical care.

This is state prosecutor Jessalyn Gillum:

“We are here because the defendant engaged in sexual contact with his patients under the guise of legitimate medical treatment,” she said. “He violated their trust and he violated their bodies. ” 

The state points to repeated testimony from witnesses who say Fultz touched them in a sexualized way and in sensitive places without reason or consent, and denied them appropriate coverings during treatment.

The defense team argues that Fultz was giving appropriate medical treatment, and that the women who accused him didn’t express their discomfort at the time. 

“The evidence in the case is going to show that during legitimate medical treatment, Dr. Fultz did make contact with sensitive areas of the body, but he did not make any contact with sensitive areas of the body without consent,” said defense attorney Wally Tetlow.

He also said that the former investigator for this case — a Juneau police officer who died in 2023 — led the women to the conclusion that they were assaulted. 

Clarise Larson: Okay, so who have we heard from since those opening statements?

Yvonne Krumrey: Tuesday and Wednesday we heard from Dr. James Lehman, an expert witness called by the state. He’s a doctor and professor at the University of Bridgeport School of Chiropractic. Attorneys asked him about a whole lot of specific medical treatments. Remember, this case is about medical treatment and whether it was appropriate or abuse. 

The state asked Dr. Lehman about what areas are appropriate to touch based on what treatment the women accusing Fultz requested.

“Are you aware of any legitimate chiropractic or any legitimate chiropractic treatment that requires a practitioner to make direct contact with the breast or vulva of a patient who comes in complaining of generalized back pain?” asked Krystyn Tendy.

“No,” Lehman said.

This went on for about two minutes, as the prosecutor asked about other medical conditions the women sought treatment for. The answer was always no. 

In cross-examination, the defense showed Dr. Lehman charts that show that tension muscles and tissue in the chest area can impact muscles down the arms. And that treating the chest area can be appropriate for treating other pain elsewhere in the body.

The state then asked Dr. Lehman about informed consent – something the women claim Fultz did NOT do before touching sensitive areas.  

“You explain to the patient what you’re going to do, why you’re going to do it, and what they should expect the outcome to be, make certain that they understand it and they approve of your proceeding,” he said.  

Clarise Larson: And I know witnesses and alleged victims were expected to speak this week. Has that happened?

Yvonne Krumrey: Yes, Wednesday and Thursday we heard from Christina Love. The court is now using alleged victims’ full names but we are only using ones who have given us permission. Love has given us permission to use her full name.

She testified about how her experiences with Fultz got progressively more uncomfortable and how different they were from other SEARHC providers she saw.

Love said initially things were comfortable but his behavior started to change [after a few years]. He walked in on her changing. He gave her a covering that was too small.

He began touching her in places she wasn’t comfortable with, without permission, and moved her hands away when she tried to cover these areas. 

She began requesting other providers, but would only get scheduled with Fultz, who she understood to be in charge of appointments. And the weird behavior escalated. 

“I trusted him,” she said. “I was so mad and betrayed. I felt betrayed by myself that I should have known.”

Love reported it to AWARE, who called JPD, and from there, the criminal investigation into Fultz began. Her testimony dug into that process as well.

Fultz’s attorney James Christie questioned Love next. He asked about her previous testimony  earlier in the case and questioned her memory. He also pointed out her lack of experience with medical treatment.

“We can agree that you have no training as a chiropractor,” Christie said. 

He argued that her testimony has changed throughout official proceedings and asked about Detective Darbonne guiding or leading her to the conclusion that she was assaulted. 

Clarise Larson: So what do you expect the rest of the trial to look like? 

Yvonne Krumrey: I believe more of what we saw this week. The prosecutor said we would hear from more of the women who have accused Fultz of similar behavior. Based on the defense’s opening statements, I’m expecting they will call their own expert witnesses, too. All told, they’re expecting to call dozens of witnesses to the stand. 

There are two more full weeks scheduled for this trial. 

Juneau police say DNA has identified human remains found in the Gastineau Channel more than 20 years ago. The State Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Thursday they are the remains of  Darryl Bruce Fawcett, who has been missing since 1999. 

Fawcett was homeless in Juneau when he stopped contacting his family in September of 1999, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System or NamUs. 

In 2004, a diver found human remains 83 feet underwater near Juneau’s downtown cruise docks and Merchant’s Wharf, according to a JPD release. The remains have been in the State Medical Examiner’s Office since, but could not be identified with the available technology.

The release says that in July, the medical examiner’s office began using new technology that can extract DNA profiles from bones and teeth. This allowed Fawcett to be identified. 

NamUs shows four other sets of unidentified human remains found in Juneau between 2001 and 2017.

Fawcett was 28 years old when he was reported missing. Police say his family has been notified.