In a disturbing case from New York, a man faces allegations of allowing his elderly mother to succumb to sepsis and bedsores while she languished in an unheated, waterless shed near his home.

Joseph Polizzi, aged 64, has been arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide and for failing to protect a vulnerable elderly person. This follows the tragic death of his 89-year-old mother, Nancy Polizzi, as reported by the New York State Police in an official statement.

Currently, Polizzi is held at the Schoharie County Correctional Facility.

On February 23, 2025, police officers were dispatched to a residence in Carlisle, New York, responding to a report of an unattended death. Upon arrival, they discovered Nancy Polizzi deceased inside a shed on the premises.

The ensuing investigation revealed that Nancy had been residing in the shed since August 2024, despite its lack of essential amenities such as heating and running water, according to police authorities.

An autopsy performed on Nancy’s body determined that she died from sepsis induced by untreated gangrenous bedsores. The death was officially classified as a homicide by medical examiners.

The investigation continued, with troopers learning Joseph Polizzi was the victim’s son “and primary caretaker as Nancy was unable to walk, feed herself, or speak in the weeks leading up to her death.” He “allegedly did not provide Nancy adequate medical care or seek needed medical treatment for her, which reportedly resulted in her death.”

On Thursday, Joseph Polizzi was arrested at his home and booked into jail. His bail was set at $5,000 cash, $10,000 bond or $50,000 partially secured bond.

Carlisle is a town in upstate New York about 40 miles west of Albany. Data from AccuWeather show temperatures reached lows of 4 degrees Fahrenheit in the town in February 2025.