COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — Charges were filed Tuesday in a disturbing case of elder abuse that resulted in the death of a 77-year-old woman in Cottonwood Heights — and the suspect in this case is the victim's own adult daughter.
53-year-old Lori Meers is now facing two second-degree felonies, including manslaughter.
Police and prosecutors say the victim, Lori’s mom, was found lying on the floor, covered in sores and human waste. They say that as her mom’s primary caretaker, Meers could and should have done something about it, but didn’t.
“This kind of stuff is completely avoidable," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said.
On Tuesday, Gill's office filed felony charges against Meers, who was the primary caretaker for her 77-year-old mom.
But back on March 10, the mom's twin sister came to the home, noticed the victim was in terrible shape and called 911.
First responders found the victim on the floor, covered in human waste. She was then rushed to Intermountain Medical Center, where doctors found that the feces were days old.
They went on to say that the victim was in poor medical shape and had obvious bodily damage, and that the victim was so cold she was hypothermic and it took them hours to warm her up.
Cottonwood Heights police then began a criminal investigation, which they later turned over to the DA.
“She was sleeping on the floor, being fed on the floor, she was covered in her own feces and waste, and she was in a state of hypothermic shock," Gill said.
As soon as he entered the home, one of the investigators noted a foul odor of urine and feces, mixed with food and filth.
According to the charging documents, Meers told detectives during a police interview: “This is nerve wracking [sic] because I’m not stupid. I know exactly what you guys think or were told. And I don’t blame the hospital for wanting an investigation to be done either because they saw the condition of my mom and it’s sickening, and it’s very sad and embarrassing.”
After a little more than a week in the hospital, the victim passed away on March 19.
Gill’s office then charged Meers with one count of manslaughter and one count of aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult.
Meers' own 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, which factored into the charging decision.
“There is a category of vulnerable adults," Gill explained, "and when we have those vulnerable adults, the care that we engage in or don’t engage in, the neglect or abuse that happens at our hands, is something that is going to be held to a high level of accountability."
Gill acknowledges that caring for an aging adult or parent can seem overwhelming. But he says there are resources out there and that people need to act in an overabundance of caution rather than wait until it’s too late.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services has information about resources and how to report suspected abuse at daas.utah.gov.
