PLEASANT GROVE, Utah, April 5, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A Utah County man has been charged with aggravated intentional abuse of a disabled or elderly adult after officials say he neglected his 78-year-old mother in the filthy trailer they shared, and she died of ailments including sepsis a day after being transported to a hospital.
Mackey A. Featherstone, 51, was booked into the Utah County Jail late last month in connection with the Jan. 24 incident when Donna Featherstone was transported to an area hospital.
On Jan. 30, an EMS professional contacted police “after observing the woman’s horrendous living conditions and the fact that she had a bed sore almost the size of her entire right thigh,” the probable cause statement says.
Donna Featherstone lived in the feces-filled trailer with son Mackey and four small dogs, the statement says.
“EMS and medical personnel made statements to the effect that Mrs. Featherstone’s condition was the worst they’ve seen in their careers. (An officer) stated as EMS were transporting Mrs. Featherstone to the emergency room, she was suffering from severe septicemia. Septicemia is sepsis or the clinical name for blood poisoning by bacteria.
“It was (the officer’s) belief that Mrs. Featherstone’s son (Mackey Featherstone) failed to provide personal care, healthcare and he failed to provide her with protection from health hazards.”
When EMS crews responded, they found Donna Featherstone, who weighed 282 pounds, seated on the sofa and having breathing problems.
“When EMS moved Mrs. Featherstone off of the couch she was sitting on inside the trailer, they saw that she had been sitting in her own feces and urine. In EMS’S report, they documented the fact that Mrs. Featherstone told them that she had not been moved from the couch in two weeks.”
Police talked with officials from the Division of Aging & Adult Protective Services, who informed them the elder Featherstone’s daughter had tried to get her into a nursing home due to declining health, the probable cause statement says.
“According to APS officials, (the daughter) informed them that Mackey told their mother that if she goes into a nursing home, he would kill himself.”
Pleasant Grove Police questioned Mackey Featherstone on March 29.
“Post Miranda, Mackey stated he did everything to take care of his mother,” the statement says. “He said he cooked her meals, got her groceries, cashed checks for her and just ran all of her errands because she wasn’t mobile. Mackey stated, he did not know that his mother (Mrs. Featherstone) was sitting in her own feces and urine.
“When asked about the infected bed sore that his mother had, Mackey advised he didn’t know it was there because he didn’t really see that part of her body. According to Mackey, his mother had been on the couch for three days.”
“When I asked Mackey, why he allowed her to sit in her own feces and urine for weeks, he said that it did not happened. Mackey stated several times he had no idea that Mrs. Featherstone had defecated and urinated on herself. I asked Mackey how he could not smell it? Mackey stated he had the flu and was unable to smell anything for two weeks.”
The arresting officer said Mackey Featherstone then made a statement that really stood out:
“He said, when he had the flu, he had a case of the ‘fuck-its.’ Basically he was saying when he had the flu, taking care of his mother wasn’t a priority. Mackey also stated that he had personal problems with hygiene. He said, if he couldn’t take care of his own personal hygiene, how would he take care of someone else’s.”
I grew up with mackey and his sister.. I knew Donna well and I am just sick to my stomach that she had to live in such a horrible place and die at the hands of her own son, from his neglect.. She was a wonderful lady and my heart is truely broken over this sad news..