Caregiver faces murder charges: Police say Jones starved an elderly man to death
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The suspect, Dorene Jones, 47, is charged with second-degree murder. She was taken into custody this week in Murfreesboro on a sealed indictment returned earlier this month by the grand jury.
She is charged for the death last September of Fletcher B. Anderson, 67. Autopsy reports revealed Anderson allegedly died from a combination of malnutrition, dehydration and hypothermia. Police investigating the crime said Anderson looked like a person who had “been in a concentration camp” when they first saw the victim, given his frailty.
“The investigation revealed he had been abused and neglected,” said McMinnville Police Investigator Mike Vann earlier this month, shortly after the indictment was rendered. “He was in real bad shape.”
Along with his gaunt appearance, investigators said Anderson had a body temperature of 80 degrees and a blood sugar count of 20 when he was brought in for treatment. He died a few days after being admitted to the hospital. He was first hospitalized last September when Jones called an ambulance because she found him unresponsive.
Police had been looking for Jones since the sealed indictment was issued. They finally caught up to her in Murfreesboro Wednesday. She had reportedly left town after being questioned by police about her treatment of Anderson and the circumstances surrounding his death.
The investigation revealed Jones had taken charge of Anderson in 2000. She was a former employee of a local boarding home which went out of business and had reached an agreement with the boarding home to take custody of Anderson. The victim suffered from schizophrenia and needed constant care.
During the several months Jones had custody of Anderson, the pair reportedly moved around to three different residences. Police say they have interviewed numerous witnesses who say they saw Anderson abused and neglected.
The cause of Jones’ neglect of her patient is unclear, although it was noted the victim was receiving a government check.
If convicted, Jones could face 15 to 25 years in prison.