An 83-year-old Wisconsin man was criminally charged in the death of his girlfriend, who he allegedly left outside by the front porch of their home for at least a week while she badly deteriorated, according to reports.
Richard Engberg, of Ellison Bay, is facing one count of recklessly subjecting an individual at risk to abuse causing death, per WLUK-TV.
Paramedics arrived at Engberg’s Ellison Bay home in response to his 911 call on September 7, when they found his 79-year-old girlfriend “lying on the ground, on her side near the front porch” with “maggots and sores covering her side,” according to a criminal complaint obtained by the TV station.
“Engberg told paramedics he knew about VICTIM’s condition and had left her there for approximately 1 to 2 weeks,” and that he would keep her moist by “spraying her with a garden hose ‘every once in a while,’” the filing continued.
The complaint also stated that paramedics described the woman’s skin beginning to peel off when they tried to roll her.
The woman didn’t open her eyes or speak, but shouted in pain when the paramedics moved her, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported.
The woman, whose name wasn’t released by law enforcement, was airlifted to St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay, per the newspaper. She died on September 10.
Engberg reportedly told paramedics and Door County sheriff’s deputies that he lived with the woman for nearly 10 years.
He described a recent decline in her mental state, including confusion and memory loss, before she had what he said appeared to be a seizure roughly two weeks ahead of his 911 call, according to the newspaper. Engberg also said her arms began to badly bruise and blister.
After what seemed to be her having a seizure, Engberg told investigators that the woman wanted to see if she regained her health before seeking medical attention, per Law&Crime.
He said “when he tried to move her, she would yell in pain and complain about being touched” and that “stayed on the porch because she was more comfortable there and liked the fresh air,” according to the complaint reviewed by the news outlet.
Engberg had his initial court appearance on Monday, September 21, when his defense attorney requested a competency review, WLUK-TV reported.
He was ordered to have a psychiatric evaluation, with the findings to be presented on October 29.
The paramedics who responded to his home expressed they weren’t confident that Engberg could care for himself or his girlfriend, per the Green Bay Press-Gazette. When a deputy tried to read Engberg’s Miranda rights, they reported that they weren’t sure whether Engberg understood.
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