Chester County Man Convicted Of Murder In Death Of Elderly Father
By Jim Melwert
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) -- A Chester County man has been found guilty of murder in the death of his elderly father.
Prosecutors say he let the World War II veteran die in what they call "filthy conditions."
The 61-year-old son claimed he was only following his father's wishes.
The defense argued Edward O'Brien III was a loyal son, honoring a promise he made to his father never to put him in a nursing home. And they say, his father was stubborn and wouldn't take his medicine when it was prescribed.
But prosecutors show a room with feces on the bed and floor, and pictures of bed sores on the 92-year-old father's body. His death, says Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan, was preventable with prescription medicine, but, he says, the son prevented his father from getting medical care.
"If you want to die at home then your wishes will be respected, but nobody would request to die covered in filth and not being cared for."
O'Brien was found guilty of all charges, including Third Degree Murder and Aggravated Assault.