According to the court documents, a 57-year-old man was sentenced to 25 years behind bars, with all but 12 years of incarceration suspended for the way he treated his 91-year-old father. Prosecutors say that the 57-year-old man is set to spend five years of supervised probation. He pleaded guilty Aug. 16, 2021 to second-degree murder.
Authorities discovered the 91-year-old victim, Elmer Norris, in deplorable conditions on Nov. 22, 2019. The defendant, Danny Norris, called police. When the first responders arrived on scene, they found the victim in a bedroom, in a sunken mattress and lying in his own feces. He appeared to be attached to the mattress and uncared for.
According to the court documents, paramedics had to cut the victim from his mattress before transporting him for further treatment. Nursing staff called police to report their suspicions of elder abuse and neglect.
The medical examiner determined in March 2020 that the manner of the 91-year-old’s death was homicide. “The son’s neglect resulted in fatal pneumonia and ulcers.” His son was arrested on March 20, 2020. He said that his father was bedridden, and he acknowledged the dirty conditions. Danny also lied about hiring a nurse to care for his father.
Friends and family members told police that they were worried about how Danny treated his father. They described the defendant as a drug addict who intentionally prohibited them from helping to clean, feed, visit and otherwise care for Elmer. He often changed the locks to his home in Maryland and refused to answer the phone when family members called to check on Elmer’s well-being.