A Florida man has been sentenced to prison following the discovery of his ailing mother in a severely contaminated home. The conditions were so hazardous that detectives had to wear biohazard suits.
A man named Jonathan Michael Miller, aged 51, has been sentenced to seven years in prison. This comes after he pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult. The victim, Geraldine Miller, aged 70, tragically lost her life. This information is based on online court records.
A case was brought to light on June 25, 2020, when authorities responded to a home in the 400 block of NE Ninth Avenue. They were called to the scene by Jonathan Miller, who made a 911 call at his mother’s request for medical care.
Upon arrival, first responders discovered Geraldine Miller in a distressing condition, with an infestation of insects and in urgent need of medical attention, according to the document.
According to court documents, she was transported to a hospital under sepsis alert precautions, prompting a police investigation into her living conditions.
She was brought to a decontamination area at the hospital and underwent intubation. Unfortunately, the individual experienced multiple severe health complications and, despite medical intervention, passed away.
According to the doctor in charge, the victim’s condition was severely neglected, and the strong odor of gangrene alone should have alerted any caregiver to seek medical assistance, as stated in the affidavit. During the examination, it was found that the victim had live bugs crawling on various parts of her body.
At the residence, detectives were seen wearing biohazard suits. The residence was overrun by insects. The furniture and mattresses were dirty. The affidavit stated that there was a noticeable odor of ammonia, urine, and feces present inside.
The document described the condition of the couch where the victim was found as extremely unsanitary, with urine, feces, and live bugs present.
A back bedroom was filled with cat feces and urine as reported by Law and Crime.
During an interview with an investigator at the residence, Jonathan Miller revealed that he had been the sole caregiver for his mother. According to the document, she had sought help from a psychologist due to undisclosed mental health issues.
His mother was severely affected by the bedbugs and poor conditions in the house. According to the document, he informed the detective that she was unable to care for herself, remained immobile for at least a week, and experienced an unfortunate incident while lying on the couch.
He provided her with nourishment and hydration, but according to the investigator, she refused his assistance with her personal hygiene due to feeling self-conscious, as stated in the affidavit.
According to the document, he provided her with soup on June 21, but she has only consumed ice cream since then.
According to court documents, it was noted that she had not changed clothes for a week and had not received medical care since December 2019, which was also the last time the home was cleaned.
The affidavit mentioned that Jonathan reported a longstanding issue with roaches and bedbugs in his house. It also confirmed that he had a cat that lived indoors and did not use a litter box.
During questioning, Detective Daniel Collier inquired about the defendant’s decision not to seek assistance in caring for his mother. The defendant explained to investigators that his mother had refused to accept any help.
Man Found Guilty of Sexually Assaulting Woman while Sleeping in His Mother’s Iowa Residence