by CHARLESTON, S.C. — A South Carolina man and his girlfriend have been arrested and charged with felony abuse and neglect of a vulnerable adult resulting in death after authorities say they allowed his 76-year-old mother to suffer such extreme neglect that her spinal column protruded through her back, causing a fatal infection.
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspects as Kevin Carl Clark, 40, and Victoria Lynn Delaune, 33, who were serving as caregivers for Clark’s mother, Dianne Clark.
Victim Found in “Highly Unsanitary Conditions”
Deputies and emergency medical personnel responded to a home on Otranto Road on July 29 after receiving a call about an unresponsive woman. Paramedics pronounced Dianne Clark dead at the scene.
Investigators said it was immediately clear that she had been living in severe neglect, lacking even basic medical care and hygiene. The affidavit described the home as “highly unsanitary,” with fecal matter, bodily fluids, and insects present throughout the area. Clark was reportedly wearing a soiled adult diaper and suffering from multiple infected bedsores crawling with maggots.
Authorities also discovered that her only prescribed medication had not been refilled since September 2024, suggesting she had gone nearly a year without treatment.
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Horrific Injuries Detailed in Autopsy
A post-mortem examination at the Medical University of South Carolina revealed the victim had developed a stage 4 pressure ulcer so severe that her spine had pushed through the skin of her lower back. The open wound was contaminated by the surrounding filth, leading to osteomyelitis — an infection of the bone and marrow — and fatal sepsis.
“Due to the neglect of her hygiene by her caretakers, an exposed wound was contaminated,” the sheriff’s office said.
Couple Held Without Bond
Clark and Delaune were both booked into the Charleston County Jail, where they remain held without bond, according to jail records. Both are scheduled to appear in court on December 19.
Authorities said the case highlights the devastating consequences of caregiver neglect and urged the public to report suspected abuse of vulnerable adults to local law enforcement or South Carolina’s Adult Protective Services.
What penalties do you think caregivers should face for such cases of fatal neglect? Share your thoughts at race-day-live.com.
