A Third District Court jury convicted a Cottonwood Heights woman of manslaughter and aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult on Friday, July 10, 2026, in the death of her elderly mother, who died of septic shock after weeks of severe neglect.

Both charges are second-degree felonies. The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office, which announced the verdict, did not release the defendant's name in its statement.

How the case unfolded

On Monday, March 10, 2025, Cottonwood Heights police responded to Intermountain Medical Center for an elder abuse investigation. The victim's twin sister had gone to the defendant's home and initially couldn't find her sibling, then discovered her on the downstairs floor with a sheet over her, "ice cold to the touch," according to the DA's Office.

Doctors told police the victim was covered in feces that appeared to be days old. She also had bedsores, was hypothermic, and had severe sepsis with septic shock. The victim was nonverbal and had dementia, according to police.

The defendant walked in and told the twin sister that her mother hadn't eaten in four days, the DA's Office said.

The elderly woman died nine days later, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. The cause of death was septic shock due to acute pancreatitis.

The twin sister told investigators that just three and a half weeks earlier, her sister "could talk," and that at Christmas she was still mobile and in good spirits.

A call for help that never came

Weeks before the incident, the defendant told her aunt she had called the elder abuse hotline on herself because she was overwhelmed and unable to care for her mother. The twin sister followed up a week later and learned the hotline never contacted the defendant.

The defendant's son later admitted his mother had never actually reached out for help, according to the DA's Office.

The twin sister had also wanted to find a permanent care facility for the victim, but the defendant was not following through, the DA's Office said.

Conviction and sentencing

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill credited the Cottonwood Heights Police Department's investigation and expert testimony from Dr. G. Paul Eleazer, a geriatric and elder abuse specialist, as instrumental in securing the conviction. Prosecutors Karissa McKinney and Ben Bartholomew tried the case.

Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

How to report elder abuse

Utah is a mandatory reporter state. Under state law, anyone who has reason to believe a vulnerable adult is being abused, neglected, or exploited must notify Adult Protective Services or law enforcement. Residents can call the APS hotline at 800-371-7897, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or report online around the clock at daas.utah.gov/adult-protective-services. In emergencies, call 911.