MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin woman and her son abandoned their 70-year-old relative after she fell to the floor, going out for pizza rather than administering aid, prosecutors alleged this week. The relative died two days later.
Prosecutors filed charges Tuesday against the victim's 71-year-old sister, Veronica King, of Madison, and 45-year-old nephew, Steven King, of Evansville. The charges include first-degree reckless homicide, hiding a corpse and recklessly subjecting an individual at risk to abuse.
Online court records didn't list defense attorneys for either defendant Wednesday. The public defender's office told The Associated Press its records Wednesday didn't show that either one had submitted a request for counsel.
Mary Coleman fell while visiting Veronica King's home in May 2009, the criminal complaint said. She allegedly lay there, talking occasionally until she died, according to a Wisconsin State Journal report.
"I told her quite frankly to shut up" because someone might call the police, Steven King told investigators.
Veronica King said she gave her dying sister liquids but no food, the complaint said.
Veronica King also told police that after Coleman died, neither she nor her son called to have the body removed "because we had other things to do that day," the complaint said.
The pair allegedly kept the death a secret, stashing the body in the basement and later in the garage until police found her mummified remains wrapped in plastic bags.
The Kings are also charged with bank fraud. The charge stems from allegations that they withdrew cash and wrote checks from Coleman's bank account where her pension and Social Security payments were automatically deposited.
Bob Kaiser, assistant Dane County district attorney, said he would not comment on why it took two years to file charges because it was a pending case.