SK Pair Charged With Elderly Abuse

Unless otherwise noted, information about the following incidents was supplied by the South Kingstown Police Department. An arrest does not indicate a conviction.

Joshua Champlin, 28, and Merry-Belle Camplin, 50, both of 42 Zinns Drive, South Kingstown, were arrested at about noon on March 18 and each charged with a single count of elderly abuse, a felony.

According to South Kingstown police and investigators from the state’s Department of Elderly Affairs, the abuse took place from Aug. 9, 2011 to Oct. 9, 2011. Police said that during that time, Joshua and Merry-Belle served as daily caretakers for a 78-year-old female family member.

Police said that on Oct. 9, they were called to the home the woman was living at after receiving an anonymous complaint about the health of the woman living there.

According to police, the home smelled of cat urine and cat feces, and the woman living there had severe bedsores. Emergency personnel noted that there were flies swarming around the woman’s wounds, there was human feces clumped on portions of her body, and she appeared to be near-death.

Police said the woman was transported to South County Hospital for treatment, followed by a transport to other intensive care facilities.

According to police, the initial doctor that saw the woman said she was so near death, he was surprised she made it out of the hospital. He noted that she had severe bed sores all over her body, even on her spine, and dirty bandages on her sores. He estimates that her wounds had not been cleaned in at least 24 to 48 hours, possibly longer.

Police said that based on interviews, Merry-Belle and Joshua were identified as the primary caregivers. Police noted that they were related to the victim, and were paid $10 an hour for as many as 60 hours a week individually for care of the victim.

According to police, based on interviews with Merry-Belle and Joshua, the bed sores on the victim first appeared in August 2011. Both said that they had been giving daily baths to the victim for the past six weeks, along with other first aid care. Police noted that the pair were accepting payment for the victim’s daily treatment between August and October 2011.

Police said that a case file was first opened on the victim in 2009, after complaints from other area residents about cat hoarding at her property, and after she suffered a fall.

According to files included in court documents, at that time it was recommended that the victim receive full-time care from a professional. Police said Merry-Belle and Joshua did not have a nursing degree.

Police said that a part-time nurse was hired for the victim, but the nurse quit in February 2010. The nurse told police that the family was openly hostile to her, did not maintain the quality of the house, and that the victim – who suffers from Alzheimer’s – also attacked her at one point.

Both Merry-Belle and Joshua were arraigned at Washington County Superior Court on March 18 and released on $5,000 personal recognizance. Pre-trial conferences are scheduled for April 15 and April 16.

According to online records, Merry-Belle has no previous arrests.

In December 2006, Joshua pleaded no contest to South Kingstown police charges of domestic assault and assault. He was ordered to complete domestic abuse and substance abuse counseling, and a mental health program.

Unless otherwise noted, the information for this article was compiled from South Kingstown police reports, which are available for review by any member of the public at their headquarters. If we’re missing a call or report you’re interested in knowing about, feel free to leave a comment or to send Local Editor Stephen Greenwell a message at Stephen.greenwell@patch.com.

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