Two people connected to a Texas med spa where a radio-station employee died after an IV treatment have been arraigned on charges that include murder, according to a report by FOX 26. The case centers on the 2023 death of Jenifer Cleveland.
Cleveland worked at radio station Texas 99 for about a year, in roles ranging from selling advertisements to community engagement. Colleagues described her as a warm presence at the station.
In 2023, Cleveland died unexpectedly after receiving an IV treatment at the now-closed Luxe Med Spa in Wortham, about 80 miles south of Dallas. Her death set off the criminal case that is now moving through the courts.
A Frisco doctor and the med spa's owner now face charges, including murder, in connection with her death. The charges brought scrutiny to how the facility operated.
The spa's owner, Amber Johnson, and the spa's medical director, Michael Gallagher, an anesthesiologist, were arraigned in Freestone County on Thursday. The arraignment marked a step forward in the prosecution.
Gallagher was operating a practice in Frisco, more than 100 miles from Luxe Med Spa, so it is unclear how much oversight he truly had over the facility. That distance has become part of the questions surrounding the case.
After Cleveland's death, the Texas Medical Board suspended Gallagher's license. The board found that he failed to properly supervise an unlicensed individual performing IV treatments, resulting in complications that staff were not trained or prepared to manage.
Last year, the Texas legislature passed a law named after Cleveland that further regulates elective IV therapies across the state. Program director Buzz Russell remembered her as a people person who could light up a room, and her colleagues said they hope her legacy will live on and prevent something like this from happening again.