SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 13, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — A Third District Court jury has found Lori Meers guilty of intentional aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult and manslaughter for the death of her mother, W.P., in Cottonwood Heights.
On March 10, 2025, police were called to Intermountain Medical Center for an elder abuse investigation. It had been reported that W.P.’s twin sister, R.M., had visited her sister that day at the home where W.P. lived with her daughter, the defendant. W.P. was nonverbal and had dementia.
“When R.M. arrived, she found W.P. covered in feces, which doctors told police were a few days old. W.P. also had bed sores, was hypothermic, and had several other medical concerns, including severe sepsis with septic shock. W.P. died on March 19, 2025,” says a statement issued by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
“The manner of death was determined to be natural; the immediate cause of death was determined to be septic shock due to acute pancreatitis.”
Through the investigation, detectives learned that W.P. had lived with her daughter, who was her primary caretaker, for a long time.
“R.M. didn’t usually stay for long when she visited W.P. because the house was not clean. R.M. wanted to find a permanent care facility, but the defendant was not following through. A few weeks prior, the defendant had told R.M. that she had called the elder abuse hotline on herself because she was tired and not able to take care of W.P. like she wanted to.
“A week later, R.M. followed up with the defendant, but the defendant told R.M. that the elder abuse people never got back to her.
“R.M. then waited three weeks to go over to visit W.P. When R.M. arrived on March 10, the defendant wasn’t home, but W.P.’s grandson L.M. was there. R.M. couldn’t find W.P. initially, but eventually found W.P. on the downstairs floor with a sheet over her buttocks. R.M. put her hand on W.P.’s back, and it was ice cold to the touch. At that point, the defendant walked in and told R.M. that W.P. had not eaten in four days. L.M. admitted that the defendant did not reach out for external help like she had told R.M.”
R.M. then called 911 and handed the phone to the defendant. R.M. told police that when paramedics arrived, every time they moved W.P., she cried out in pain. R.M. told detectives that when she saw W.P. three and a half weeks before this, she could talk, and at Christmas, W.P. was still moving around and in good spirits, the statement says.
On Sept. 9, 2025, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office charged the defendant with one count of second-degree felony manslaughter and one count of second-degree felony aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult.
On July 7, 2026, jury selection began for the defendant’s trial. The jury came back with a decision of guilty on both counts on Friday, July 10.
Sentencing for the defendant is set for Sept. 8 of this year.
“We appreciate the jury’s careful consideration of the evidence and its verdict holding the defendant accountable for the harm she caused her elderly mother,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Gill said in the prepared statement.
“We wish the defendant had, in fact, reached out for help like she told her family that she had, so that her mother might still be here with her family today.
“Although taking care of a vulnerable loved one can be overwhelming, there are resources in our community between the neighborhood house and the Salt Lake County Senior Centers to help those who may be struggling.”
Gill thanked geriatric and elder abuse expert Dr. G. Paul Eleazer and Cottonwood Heights police, among others.
● Utah is a mandatory reporter state. This means that any person who has reason to believe that a vulnerable adult is being abused, neglected, or exploited must immediately notify Adult Protective Services or the nearest law enforcement office. If what you see is an emergency, please call 911. You can also report suspected abuse directly to Utah’s hotline to report abuse/neglect of seniors and adults with disabilities, which is 800-371-7897 (M-F, 8a-5p). You can also report it online 24/7 at https://daas.utah.gov/adult-protective-services/
