Barry Sisters' Accused of Gross Neglect of 84 yr old Mother, leading to her death

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ST. CHARLES, Ill. (Aug. 14) -- Two sisters have been convicted of failing to provide adequate care their mother during the final months of her life.

According to the Kane County state's attorney's office, 57-year-old Jill Barry and 47-year-old Julie Barry were found guilty Thursday by Associate Judge Allen Anderson of one count each of criminal neglect of an elderly person. The sisters had waived their rights to a jury trial.Authorities said 84-year-old Mary Virginia Barry died of pneumonia on April 27, 2007 at Delnor-Community Hospital in Geneva. The woman weighed only 70 pounds when she died a week after paramedics removed her from the family home.

When paramedics removed the mother from the home, they found her dehydrated, suffering dementia and resting on filthy sheets while covered in ants, the Chicago Tribune reported. They also noted bedsores on the woman's back, one deep enough to reveal her vertebrae.

Coroners said Mary Barry's pneumonia was enhanced by a history of bladder cancer, malnourishment, dehydration and neglect. An inquest jury ruled the death a homicide, placing blame on the sisters.

The following is from an older story, which I include to help further demonstrate the condition this poor 84 yr old woman lived her final months in, week after week, day after day, hour after hour... imagine yourself living and suffering as she did. And, I read other stories which included other gory details not told in these 2 stories. http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/2009/04/02/10436275/ The Barry sisters called 911 about 9 a.m. April 20, 2007, reporting their mother might be having a stroke. It was later determined Mary Barry wasn't having a stroke that day, but she died one week later at Delnor Hospital from malnourishment and dehydration, coroners said.

After the 911 call, paramedics Glen Baum and John McCafferty arrived at the home in the 400 block of Peyton Street, finding a cluttered home with a "distinct" smell of urine and feces, according to testimony.

McCafferty described "an overall layer of filth" and unwashed dishes on the kitchen counters, along with clothes and other items in the basement, piled to the top of the steps.

Both also recalled an odor of urine and feces coming from Barry, who was in a bedroom just off of the kitchen.

McCafferty said Barry appeared to be dehydrated and "emaciated," estimating her weight to be about 75 to 80 pounds.

He also noticed fecal matter under her fingernails and that her clothes were soaked in urine.

Baum and a firefighter had to carry Barry out of the home on her bed sheet because the home's narrow stairs out the side entrance could not fit their ambulance stretcher.

When Baum was lifting back the sheet to carry Barry from the home, he noticed a trail of black ants on the foot of her bed.

That "threw the red flag up," leading Baum to report his suspicions to authorities, he testified.

At the hospital, nurses contacted police and senior services officials, prompting the arrival of Geneva police officer Eddie Jackson.

He testified Thursday that he observed Barry in her hospital room,and was shown bed sores on her shoulders, hips, back and heel.

Jackson also testified that Barry's clothing was in a pile on the hospital room floor, along with "small, dark bugs."

The Barry sisters told Jackson that their mother had a stroke about two years before and they were now taking care of her after a brief stay in a nursing home.

But, on April 20, 2007, the Barry sisters called 911 because their mother had diarrhea and "it became overwhelming," Jackson testified.

I wrote quite a rant about this story in my other blogspot blog, at jasminewolfhawk.blogspot.com , but I'm drained of it now and don't really wanna say anymore. I'm terribly saddened, horribly disgusted, and angry as hell. The point in adding the story here is the issue of our society's disrespect of our elders, from the way many people treat them, think of them, etc, to the way many must struggle so hard to make ends meet after a lifetime of hard work, and at a time when they should be enjoying their last years, as worry-free as possible. Dealing with health problems, knowing you will only have more and more sickness, pain, exhaustion, etc as time passes, til your life ends - that is enough, its too much. Then add in the way many, or most, of our elderly have to try to get by, the disrespect, etc etc etc. Its not right. And I can't believe these sisters, or at least their lawyer, went as far as to call them heroic angels. Its even inane. I can't find the words to express my feelings over this. It has really gotten to me for some reason, and possibly because its not just this one case, tho this is certainly a bad one, but its just one example of one of our society's glaring problems.