A Hickory man is facing charges of abuse or neglect of a vulnerable person after his mother, to which he was a caregiver, was found dead Nov. 5.
Christopher James
Hickory Police Chief Mark Spence said that Christopher S. James, 38, was charged with abuse or neglect of a vulnerable person. Spence said that further charges could be added after they receive the results of an autopsy conducted by the State Medical Examiner. Those results had not been received as of press time.
The charges stem from a call on Nov. 5 between 3:30 and 4 p.m. at 62 Emanuel St., in which the police were called in to investigate the death of Brenda James, 64.
“She had a stroke a couple of years ago and was not able to walk or care for herself,” Spence said. “The suspect was in charge of her caregiving. He may not have been the only person in charge of caregiving.”
As of press time, Spence said they do not know her exact time of death, but they likely believe she had been dead for more than 24 hours.
“She had been dead for a while, not quite a week but definitely longer than 24 hours,” Spence said. “There were signs that she had probably been neglected, and that led to her death.”
Spence said he was aware Ms. James was not medically able to take care of herself.
“She had a stroke a while back and was not able to walk or to care for herself,” Spence said. “She was bedridden and required 24-hour care services.”
Spence indicated that other suspects could be charged in the case, as they believe there may have been more persons in charge of her caregiving.
“This is such a sad situation,” Spence said. “We are still conducting interviews. We will know more after we receive the medical examiner’s report.”
