Hospital Worker Charged With Attack at Fort Leavenworth

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A civilian hospital employee was charged Thursday with setting a woman on fire on Fort Leavenworth in an effort to kill her, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Clifford Currie, 54, Leavenworth, Kan., was charged with one count of assault with intent to commit murder. A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., alleged that Currie threw gasoline or some other inflammable liquid on his female supervisor, lit on her fire and assaulted her with a straight edge razor. Another hospital worker came to the victim’s aid when she heard screams and saw the victim on fire from the chest up. That woman was injured trying to stop Currie from continuing the assault on the victim. Currie was subdued by hospital employees and then arrested.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the U.S. Army Military Police investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.