TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — A Utah woman was jailed on suspicion of manslaughter after her uncle who had dementia was found dead in his Taylorsville apartment Wednesday afternoon.
Kimberly Wallwork, 55, had been living with her uncle, identified as 66-year-old Nicholas James Wallwork in an apartment located near 4260 South and 850 West for about five years.
Wednesday afternoon, a family member called police and reported Nicholas was unresponsive and not breathing, officials reported.
Paramedics were sent to the area and found the man had died.
"That initial determination was the deceased passed away as a result of illegal substance injections, namely heroin injections," said Lt. Jaren Fowler with the Taylorsville Police Department.
Nicholas was found lying on the floor of a bedroom with what appeared to be a leg infection, officials stated.
In interviews with Kimberly as well as her daughter, detectives learned the two women served as caretakers for Nicholas, who had dementia.
"Police said she had administered heroin to him over the last 24 hours," a release reads in part. "Kimberly Wallwork told police she uses heroin daily, as well."
Arresting documents detail Wallwork told police officers she "injected the victim with heroin to ease his pain." Specifically, it states she injected her uncle with more than seven doses of heroin.
A witness told police that she saw Wallwork inject her uncle in the shoulder.
"From what we were to understand, all three of the individuals living there, including the deceased were all frequently using heroin," said Lt. Fowler.
Officials reported "significant amounts of narcotics" were found in the apartment during the investigation but it's unclear what caused the death of Nicholas.
Charges against Kimberly are pending but she was booked into Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of manslaughter early Thursday morning without bail.
"Evidence suggested that the niece was, in fact the person that was administering the doses of heroin to the deceased because of that, it being an illegal substance, it being unlawfully possessed and used and injected into somebody, that would warrant the manslaughter charge," said Lt. Fowler.
During a search of the bedroom, police found heroin, needles and a journal with heroin dosages written inside, arresting documents report.
The State Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to test for specific drugs and quantities in the victims system.
