Background: Bodycam footage taken at the home of Deborah Valentine (Del City Police Department). Inset: Duane Valentine (Oklahoma County Detention Center).
In a distressing case emerging from Oklahoma, a man has been released on bond after facing accusations of neglect leading to his mother’s death.
Duane Valentine, aged 52, contacted the authorities on February 17th after discovering his 70-year-old mother, Deborah Valentine, unresponsive in her bedroom. Responding officers from the Del City Police Department were confronted with a shocking scene: Deborah was found surrounded by heaps of trash, overrun with rats, and amidst human waste. During questioning, Duane reportedly mentioned that his last conversation with his mother occurred approximately three days prior to her death.
Duane recounted that, after his initial visit, he found her asleep and returned the following day only to find she was unresponsive. This timeline, however, seemed inconsistent given the state of the home and the condition of the body.
Body camera footage, obtained by Law&Crime, depicts the grim environment within the house, with officers navigating through a space overwhelmed by garbage. A report from the local NBC affiliate, KFOR, notes that Deborah’s bed was engulfed by two feet of refuse and surrounded by rodents. Officers also discovered human waste scattered across various items within the home.
In a particularly haunting moment captured in the footage, an officer is heard remarking to a colleague, “There are, like, 20 rats eating on this lady.”
Due to these disturbing conditions, authorities suspect Deborah Valentine may have been deceased for a longer period than her son indicated. Duane, who had been residing with his mother for the past nine years as her caretaker, claimed she became bedridden a few months prior and had fallen ill the Thursday before he found her unresponsive.
Duane Valentine allegedly told the officers, “Like I said, she’s been really sick, and she’s just been sleeping.”
One officer said to another officer at the scene, “She’s, like, sunk into the bed, a mouse was eating on her face when I came in.”
Family members eventually arrived at the scene and asked him why he had never called them. He claimed, “I didn’t know, bud. I didn’t. I didn’t think she was gone.”
At the station, Duane Valentine told an officer, “I didn’t kill my mother, alright? My mother was stubborn, didn’t like to be messed with when she sleeps.”
Duane Valentine was eventually charged with second-degree murder and abuse by a caretaker. Police also confirmed that the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation was looking into suspicions of financial abuse by Duane Valentine. After being booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center, Duane Valentine was released with conditions after posting $50,000 bond. He is currently not in custody but is wearing a GPS monitor. His arraignment is scheduled for March 19.
