Bethany Man Accused Of Neglecting, Abusing His 84-Year-Old Mother

Bethany police responded to a filthy home where an elderly woman was rescued, and her son was arrested. 

According to police, the woman, 84, had been sleeping in animal and human feces.  

When police arrived, officers could smell a stench coming from inside the home.

After missing a string of appointments, doctors at Gilbert Medical Center alerted adult protective services and then the police, after their patient showed up and was missing her hair.

“That was because it was all matted to the side of her head and instead of taking care of her, the suspect just shaved her head,” said Bethany Police Lt. Angelo Orifice.

When police went to the woman's home the report states, "officers observed swelling in her legs and calves."

The woman told police her son, Phillip Conkle, "was supposed to be taking care of her."

“She wasn't being cared for, she wasn’t showering, or bathing,” said Lt. Orifice.

Once inside the house, police were overcome.

“Officers had to put on booties, suits, and masks because it was such a health hazard to document the scene,” said Lt. Orifice. 

Neighbor Chance Thornton had no idea a woman had been living there.

“It's an awful thing to hear just because her being next door, it sucks not having done anything and not knowing anything, it's insane,” said Thornton.

“He's just friendly, he’s a nice guy. If you're driving down the street, he's waiving to you and things like that,” said Thornton of the woman’s son.  

And while everything seemed to be normal, with the exception of an overgrown yard, police said inside the home the bathtub and toilets were filled with feces. The woman slept on a “soiled mattress with no sheets or blanket in the living room."

“I couldn't imagine her sleeping on the floor and not being taken care of and living in filth, that's just heartbreaking,” said Thornton.

The woman told police her son hid her medications. He is being charged with neglect by a caretaker.