PARKESBURG, PA – Attorney General Michelle Henry has announced the filing of charges against Kaci Nightingale and Richard Nightingale in relation to the death of a 71-year-old woman in Parkesburg. The couple, who were the daughter and husband of the deceased, have been accused of felony neglect of a care-dependent person.
In July 2021, the lifeless body of the elderly woman was discovered in a residence on West Lincoln Highway. The victim was severely emaciated and had endured untreated bedsores of a serious nature. An autopsy determined that the cause of death was a stroke.
Kaci Nightingale, 38, residing in Coatesville, is facing charges of Neglect of a Care-Dependent Person, Medicaid Fraud, and additional related offenses. Meanwhile, Richard Nightingale, 76, also a resident of Coatesville, is charged solely with Neglect of a Care-Dependent Person.
On July 7, both defendants surrendered themselves at a magisterial district court. They were subsequently arraigned, with bail set at $150,000 unsecured for each individual.
Attorney General Henry expressed deep concern over the circumstances of the case, describing them as extremely troubling. The alleged neglect suffered by a woman in dire need of care, at the hands of her own family, is a deeply distressing situation. Additionally, the fact that one of the defendants received public funds to provide the necessary care for her mother, funds which were ultimately misused, further compounds the gravity of the crime. The defendants were entrusted with the responsibility of caring for their vulnerable family member, and they allegedly neglected their duty entirely.
At the time of the offenses, both Nightingales resided with the victim. Kaci Nightingale was employed as a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) and received Medicaid funding to care for her mother, who suffered from dementia, was non-verbal, and unable to independently leave her bed. Richard Nightingale claimed to be a primary caregiver.
The lifeless body of the victim was discovered on July 20, 2021, within her residence. She was found unclothed, lying on a mattress without a bed frame, and covered by a blanket. The condition in which her body was found was deplorable. The subsequent autopsy revealed severe bedsores, indicating that the patient had not been regularly repositioned, a common practice for bedridden individuals. One of the bedsores was particularly severe, exposing the bone. There was no evidence to suggest that any medical attention had been sought for the bedsores.