A 75-year-old woman has been charged with neglect after allegedly leaving her frail husband stranded on the toilet for 19 hours
A wife allegedly left her frail husband stranded on the toilet for 19 hours, sparking a tragic chain of events that led to his death days later. Margaret Rog, 75, was arrested by Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office in the US after her 76-year-old partner was allegedly left unattended on the loo overnight without medication, food, or water.
Police say the husband, who suffered from dementia, Alzheimer’s and legal blindness, went to the bathroom at around 3pm on August 20. When Rog was unable to help him back up, she reportedly made no effort to call emergency services for assistance.
Instead, the West Virginia pensioner is claimed to have watched her husband groan in agony before heading off to bed, leaving him trapped for nearly a full day.
His plight was only discovered at 10am the following morning when a visiting speech therapist arrived for a home appointment.
Finding the elderly man unresponsive and in a desperate state, the specialist immediately dialled 911.
Emergency crews rushed the husband to hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with a list of conditions, including heart failure, respiratory failure, pulmonary embolism, hypernatremia, sepsis and rhabdomyolysis.
Court records revealed the man was also suffering from shortness of breath, an altered mental state and wounds on his backside. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, he died in hospital ten days later on August 31.
Investigators said that the injuries and the man’s frail condition were “significant contributing factors” in his death.
Detectives claim that Rog made several self-incriminating statements to law enforcement, adult protection services and relatives during the probe.
Authorities allege she openly admitted she knew her husband needed help, but deliberately chose not to raise the alarm.
Rog was hauled into custody on Tuesday and charged with abuse or neglect of an incapacitated adult. She pleaded not guilty in court and was released after posting a $75,000 bond.