Iowa man and his fiancée arrested for father’s neglect death
02/23/2023 11:53 am PST
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (TCD) -- A 24-year-old man and his 23-year-old fiancée are facing charges after the man’s 58-year-old father reportedly died of neglect.
According to a news release from the West Des Moines Police Department, on Aug. 10, 2022, shortly after 1 a.m., officers responded to 228 1st St. to a report of a man "experiencing a medical emergency."
Officers and West Des Moines Fire and EMS found Steven Schaper "suffering from multiple medical issues and living in deplorable conditions," police said.
Police found the victim "lying on a feces- and urine-soaked mattress," and he appeared to be "skin and bones," WHO-TV reports. Additionally, authorities reportedly noticed the victim’s "teeth were black and appeared to be rotting out," and he weighed under 100 pounds.
According to WHO, en route to the hospital, Steven Schaper said, "Help me." He reportedly died at the hospital.
The victim’s son and one of his caretakers, Jacob Schaper, told EMTs his father suffered from diabetes and "had been bedridden for a month" and he had not taken "any of his prescription medication for a long time," WHO reports.
The son reportedly believed his father was suffering from a stroke and said his appearance changed.
An investigation was launched due to the victim’s medical issues and poor living conditions. According to police, investigators determined the victim’s caretakers "intentionally or recklessly denied him adequate medical care and living conditions, which resulted in his death."
The caretakers, Jacob Schaper and Jocelyn Grisham, were reportedly arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail for second-degree murder. They both remain held without bail, records show.
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