Elder Woman Allowed to Lie in Her own Waste for Years.- No Charges Filed!

By MARK MORRIS The Kansas City Star

Kansas City police arrested three people Thursday during an elder-abuse investigation in which an elderly woman had been allowed to lie in her own waste for several years.

Police spokesman Rich Lockhart said firefighters called police when they answered a call to the home of Hazel L. Byes, 85, in the 5700 block of Forest Avenue Thursday evening.

“They reported that her condition was potentially life-threatening as a result of not being moved and lying in her own waste for several years,” Lockhart said.

No charges have yet been filed against those arrested, a 46-year-old man and two women, ages 47 and 50, all of whom Lockhart described as family members.

According to a police report from the scene, firefighters had been called to help transfer Byes, described as “bedridden and overweight,” to a hospital.

Police Officer Charles J. Miller wrote that he noticed a strong odor of human waste when he entered the home. The source became clear when he saw Byes’ bed.

“I observed a big indentation covered in what appeared to be dry human feces in the middle of the victims’ bed,” Miller wrote.

Police called in the domestic violence unit to continue the investigation and Byes was taken to an area hospital for treatment, according to the report.