Â鶹ŮÓÅ

Was it murder or a tragic public health outbreak? Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the trial of a former executive charged in a 2012 U.S. meningitis outbreak offered jurors opposing theories Thursday about a public health crisis that killed 64 people and injured about 700 others in 20 states. (Lavoie, 3/16)

According to prosecutors, Barry J. Cadden ignored the warning signs that led to the 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak that killed more than 60 people across the country and sickened hundreds more. He was told that a clean room at the New England Compounding Center in Framingham was infested with bugs and mice and that oil had spilled on the floor. Tests confirmed the existence of mold. But he did nothing, prosecutors contend. (Valencia, 3/16)