WA - Pia Klein, 73, left on floor for 10 wks before dying, Medical Lake, 9 Feb 2009

Dark Knight

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MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. — Sheriff's officers have arrested an 82-year-old man after his wife died on the floor of their home, apparently about 10 weeks after she fell out of bed and was unable to get up.

John Klein was arrested for investigation of second-degree manslaughter after he called 911 on Monday to report that his 73-year-old wife Pia had no pulse.

Klein told Spokane County sheriff's Detective Jim Dresback that his wife of 52 years fell out of bed around last Thanksgiving, Dresback said in court papers filed Tuesday.

According to that account, Klein had been working outside, came in and found his wife lying next to the bed in the doorway of the master bathroom. He said she cried out in pain and told him to leave her alone when he tried to help her up.

After that, Klein said he left her lying on her left side on the floor for the next 10 weeks, bringing her food and water, giving her medications and cleaning her but did not summon any medical aid. The woman had no significant medical problems, Klein told detectives. It was not clear what medications he gave her.

The woman apparently had been lying naked on the stained, carpeted floor and had several large ulcers on her left hip and left leg, "consistent with her having been lying on her left side for an extended period of time," the affidavit said. A soiled pillow lay in the bathroom doorway.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,490857,00.html
 
Sounds like he just decided to let her die on the floor because she said she didn't want his help -- like, "Fine. Lie there 'til you die." Guess he's finding out it's not legal to take spite to that extreme.
 
Sounds like he just decided to let her die on the floor because she said she didn't want his help -- like, "Fine. Lie there 'til you die." Guess he's finding out it's not legal to take spite to that extreme.

I have to wonder that she never asked him to call anyone, but some folks are strange. I wonder what the daughter has to say about all this.
 
Do you think there was something wrong with the husband's mind?
 
Do you think there was something wrong with the husband's mind?

I thought he must be confused until I came to his quote, "I don't consider it to be my fault. She did not want help." (DK's link)

That just doesn't sound like confusion to me. It sounds like spite, or, at best, apathy.
 
So many possibilities here.

The husband could have been sadistic/abusive. This could have been his final act of abuse toward his wife.

He could have had dementia and been confused as to what his wife was requesting. They BOTH may have had dementia, which would really explain his side of the story, IMO

No matter what really happened, this is a very sad story.
 
He must have given her water or she would have died within a week. I wonder if he was giving her food or if she starved. I don't believe his story even if he does have any dementia, which I doubt. If she had pressure sores she wasn't even able to move. Who would want to lay there naked and in pain.
 
<respectfully snipped> Who would want to lay there naked and in pain.

A Person with extreme Dementia.
My Mom has worked with elderly people for 35+ years and I have heard all kinds of stories about folks with extreme dementia. They can get very confused and disoriented.


But I do think there is a good chance the husband is a UAV that needs to be locked up for the rest of his days.

Either way this is a really sad story
 
I was thinking that they may have had a dominant-submissive type relationship. Of course, this would be quite the extreme. But I have seen couples where the female dominates the male, tells him everything to do, and he acquiesces to her every wish. Obviously, it happens where the male is dominant, but it can be turned around....
 
A Person with extreme Dementia.
My Mom has worked with elderly people for 35+ years and I have heard all kinds of stories about folks with extreme dementia. They can get very confused and disoriented.


But I do think there is a good chance the husband is a UAV that needs to be locked up for the rest of his days.

Either way this is a really sad story

What is a UAV?
 
What is a UAV?

oops! Acronym from another board I frequent...
UAV=User Agreement Violation
in other words, what I would like to call him would be in violation of the user agreement. :crazy:
 
He must have given her water or she would have died within a week. I wonder if he was giving her food or if she starved. I don't believe his story even if he does have any dementia, which I doubt. If she had pressure sores she wasn't even able to move. Who would want to lay there naked and in pain.

That's a good point - he must have been at least that active in her care.

I too wonder if the husband suffers from some dementia, confusion. Without actually being present when he made his statements, I can't assume they were made in a dismissive, spiteful way. The whole thing just sounds weird.
 
He must have given her water or she would have died within a week. I wonder if he was giving her food or if she starved. I don't believe his story even if he does have any dementia, which I doubt. If she had pressure sores she wasn't even able to move. Who would want to lay there naked and in pain.

This is from the quote on DK's original post:
After that, Klein said he left her lying on her left side on the floor for the next 10 weeks, bringing her food and water, giving her medications and cleaning her but did not summon any medical aid. The woman had no significant medical problems, Klein told detectives. It was not clear what medications he gave her.
 
maybe he didnt understand what could happen in leaving her on the floor....the bedsores....this reminds me of the man who left his gf on the toilet.....
he was caring for her, food, water, cleaning her up etc....
 
Yep - so he was caring for her. Maybe she really didn't want to be moved.

It could be. It's hard to know when it's right to follow someone's wishes and when it's right to insist. Guess since I'm someone who expects her wishes to be followed, I can hardly condemn him for respecting his wife's -- (if that's what he was doing.)
 

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