Jared Greenwood

Name: Jared Greenwood.
Died: September 30, 2007 (Body found).
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Neglect; blood poisoning from infected bedsores.
Location: Bloomfield, New Mexico, USA.

Details:
Jared was autistic and had an intellectual disability. He could walk on his own, but he needed help with most basic ADLs, and his mother was responsible for his care.

On the day of his death, Jared’s mother was staying at a hotel, leaving Jared alone at home. Somehow, he made his way from the bed to the bathroom. There, he died. He was found with bedsores so deep that they had invaded his bones, evidence that he had been lying in the same position for at least two weeks.

Jared’s mother served two-and-a-half years in prison.

Editor’s note: Though the references I found did not mention it, I find it likely that Jared was restrained in his bed for at least some of those two weeks. Since he needed little assistance moving around and made it to the bathroom on his own even while dying, Jared would probably have been able to move around enough in his bed to prevent severe bedsores if he had not been tied to it for some extended period of time. My guess is that Jared’s mother saw how severe his bedsores had become and realized he was seriously ill and she was at fault, so she untied him and left him alone to die.

References:
Mother admits blame for son’s death in video interview
Mentally disabled son’s mom charged for role in his death
New Mexico mother receives 2 1/2 years in prison for neglect that led to the death of her adult son with a disability
Woman accused of leaving son to die found competent to stand trial