TAYLORSVILLE, Utah, Dec. 28, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 66-year-old man was found dead in his Taylorsville apartment Wednesday, and his 55-year-old niece and live-in caregiver was arrested Thursday morning, police said.
Family members of Nicholas James Wallwork called police to his apartment near 4260 S. 850 West about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday after he was found unresponsive and not breathing, Taylorsville police said. Paramedics later confirmed that Wallwork had died.
The man’s niece, Kimberly Ann Wallwork, and the woman’s daughter, Kelly Ringwood, 36, had been living and caring for Wallwork, who police say suffered from dementia.
Kimberly Wallwork told police that she’s a daily heroin user and that she had injected her uncle with heroin on Wednesday night “to ease his pain,” Taylorsville police said in a probable cause statement filed in 3rd District Court.
Nicholas Wallwork was found lying on the floor in a bedroom with what appeared to be a leg infection, police said.
Significant amounts of narcotics were found in the apartment during the initial investigation, according to police. The state medical examiner will conduct an autopsy, which includes testing for specific drugs and quantities in his system.
Kimberly Wallwork was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Thursday for investigation of manslaughter, a second-degree felony.
Gephardt Daily will update this story as more information becomes available.
