An Alabama father and his adult daughter were charged Wednesday with elderly abuse and first-degree neglect, and the father was additionally charged with manslaughter.
The Valley Police Department said it responded to a call on March 16 and found 72-year-old Janice Ramsey Hawkins dead in the living room. Hawkins’ husband, 74-year-old Walter Alfred Hawkins, and the couple’s daughter, 45-year-old Christy Lee Hawkins, were also present.
Officers reported finding “deplorable living conditions, dirty clothing, foul odor and roach infestation” in the home and requested an investigation.
An autopsy completed on May 4 found that Hawkins died from failure to thrive associated with complications of diabetes. The report cited malnutrition, below average body mass index, sunken eyes and prominent ribs, and dehydration “evidenced by skin tenting.”
The investigation determined that Hawkins hadn’t seen a doctor since 2019 and that her nine medications had not been refilled since 2018.
Walter Hawkins and Christy Hawkins are bing held in the Chambers County Detention Facility pending a bond hearing.
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