COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — A woman was sentenced Tuesday to up to 30 years in prison for the neglectful death of her mother in Cottonwood Heights last year.
In September 2025, Lori Meers was charged with manslaughter and intentional aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult after her 77-year-old mother had been found earlier in the year covered in feces and suffering from bedsores and septic shock while under the care of her daughter.
Meers' mother died on March 19, 2025, and during an investigation into her death, detectives shared how Meers' twin sister came to the home over a week earlier and found her mother in terrible shape, and called 911. When first responders arrived at the home, they found the woman on the floor and covered in waste, which doctors learned was several days old.
Woman charged with neglecting elderly mom's care, leading to her death:
According to detectives, Meers told her sister that she had called an elder abuse hotline on herself because "she was tired and not able to take care of [her mother] like she wanted to," the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office said Tuesday.
A week later, Meers told her sister that their mother had not eaten in four days, and that contrary to what she had said earlier, she had not reached out for external help. After calling 911, first responders arrived at the home, and according to officials, Meers' mother "cried out in pain" every time she was moved.
Meers' son told police that his grandmother had been in a state of decline for years and that his mom was the primary caretaker. He also expressed his belief that his grandmother was neglected.
Meers' mother died in the hospital on March 19.
On July 10, Meers was found guilty and sentenced on Tuesday to one to 15 years in prison for each charge, with both sentences ordered to be served consecutively.
"The judge did not mince words when she handed down the sentence saying the defendant’s treatment of her mother amounted to torture," said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. "This was not a case of mistakes by an overwhelmed caretaker, this was outright neglect."
