Abductions of Elderly Rarely Have Happy Endings

ORWIGSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A man whose mother died the day after police say he kidnapped her from a nursing home has been charged in her death.Robert Netchel, 58, of Mount Carmel, was accused of forcibly taking his mother from the Schuylkill Center Nursing Home near Pottsville last month.

He was arraigned Friday on charges including involuntary manslaughter, kidnapping and unlawful restraint.Stress from the incident directly resulted in the death of 83-year-old Ruth Netchel on May 1, according to an autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Richard Bindie.Defense lawyer Sud Patel said he had not seen the medical records that led Bindie to the finding of cardiogenic shock.“Mr. Netchel will tell his side of the story at the appropriate time,” Patel said. “However, we’re not going to make any comment on it today. What everyone needs to keep in mind is there are always two sides to the story, and we expect that we’re going to have a chance to say what really happened that day.”

Three nursing home employees saw Netchel take his mother out of the home on April 30 with some medical equipment still attached to her, police said.