Inset: Margaret Louise Rog (North Central Regional Jail). Background: The 100 block of Orchard Crossing in Morgantown, W.Va., where authorities say Rog left her husband on a toilet for 19 hours (Google Maps).
A 75-year-old West Virginia woman allegedly left her 76-year-old husband on a toilet for 19 hours after he was unable to stand, ignored his cries of pain and went to bed without seeking medical help, authorities said.
Margaret Louise Rog faces a charge of abusing an incapacitated adult in a manner that created a substantial risk of death.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime, the man was found in critical condition on Aug. 21 during an in-home visit by a speech therapist. The therapist reportedly discovered him “dangerously poor condition and unresponsive on the toilet” and called 911. He was taken to a hospital, where he died on Aug. 31.
The complaint states that the man had dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and legal blindness, among other serious medical conditions. Rog served as his caregiver.
Rog told deputies from the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office that her husband went to the bathroom around 3 p.m. on Aug. 20 at their home in the 100 block of Orchard Crossing in Morgantown. When he could not get back up, she tried to assist him but was unsuccessful, investigators said.
Authorities allege that Rog then left him in the bathroom for the next 19 hours as he “groaned in pain.” She did not call 911 or ask anyone else for assistance, and she allegedly failed to provide him with food, water or his prescribed medications.
The complaint says Rog went to bed that night, leaving her husband “unattended and unresponsive in the bathroom.” He remained on the toilet until the speech therapist arrived the following morning and summoned emergency responders.
At the hospital, doctors found that the man had sepsis, heart failure and wounds on his backside.
Investigators said Rog made several statements suggesting she knew her husband needed medical attention but “deliberately decided against providing any.”
An autopsy determined that injuries he suffered while confined to the toilet were “significant contributing factors to his death,” according to authorities.
Rog was arrested Tuesday and booked into the North Central Regional Jail. She later posted a $75,000 bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 25.
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