Editor’s note: This story contains graphic descriptions of the alleged abuse.
An Augusta man was denied bond Friday on a murder charge in connection with his 80-year-old mother’s death, according to multiple media reports.
Kenneth Bernard Leverett, 58, will remain in jail following the death of Vivian Marshall, who was found last month covered in ants and filth, AJC.com previously reported. The Crimes Against the Vulnerable and Elderly (CAVE) task force said she appeared to be “eaten alive” by ants due to neglect.
Leverett’s attorney, Kevin Davis, told the judge that his client had never been in legal trouble, but Judge James B. Blanchard Jr. said Leverett’s alleged crimes gave him grave concern, the Augusta Chronicle reported.
The extent of the alleged abuse and the allegation that Leverett tried to clean up the crime scene convinced the judge to deny his bond, the newspaper reported.
Authorities found Marshall in mid-June at their home off Wrightsboro Road, and she was unresponsive and covered in “rashes, blood and insect bites,” CAVE previously said. She was also severely dehydrated and underweight.
University Hospital staff told authorities that she had lost 30 pounds since her last doctor’s visit, according to an incident report obtained by Augusta-based news station WRDW.
She died the following day. Authorities initially said the woman was 78 years old, but the Augusta Chronicle learned she was actually 80.
Leverett was initially charged with elder abuse and tampering with evidence, but authorities added a murder charge after his mother’s death.
Deputies said Leverett was seen with cleaning supplies and bug spray when they approached him, indicating he “had been tampering with the crime scene by cleaning it upon our arrival.”
Deputies also noted that the house smelled of urine, was infested with ants and said bloody bedsheets were found in a washing machine.
Leverett remains in the Richmond County jail, according to online records.
The incident is reminiscent of a Vietnam War veteran who died last year at at the Eagle’s Nest Community Living Center on the Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s campus in DeKalb County.
Joel Marrable, who was battling cancer, was found covered in ants twice, leaving him with more than 100 bites before his death, AJC.com previously reported.
The incident led to outrage at his living conditions, with then-U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson releasing a scathing statement that demanded answers.
The conditions were investigated, prompting an Atlanta-based administrator to be placed on leave and eight other staff members to be reassigned.
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