On Monday, an adult son, his wife, a granddaughter and her boyfriend admitted guilt to neglecting an elderly relative. Albert W. Weaver Jr., 52, his wife Virginia L. Weaver, 49, their daughter Amanda Maria Weaver, 26, and her boyfriend Anthony James Dorney, 29, all of Union Road in Richland Township, each pleaded guilty in Bucks County Common Pleas Court to first-degree misdemeanor counts of neglect of a care-dependent person stemming from years of abuse that led to the death of Albert Weaver Sr., 84.

            Virginia Weaver, Amanda Weaver and Dorney also pleaded guilty to theft charges, admitting they stole money from the elderly man and squandered much of it on alcohol, drugs, guns, video games, court costs and other expenditures not related to Weaver Sr.'s care, according to information posted on the Bucks Crimewatch PA website.

            Judge Wallace H. Bateman Jr. sentenced Dorney and Virginia Weaver to two to five years in state prison. Weaver Jr. was ordered to serve 15 to 48 months. Amanda Weaver will learn her sentence at a later hearing, according to the website.

            Virginia Weaver, who admitted she continued cashing her father-in-law's pension checks after his death, also must make restitution of $3,615.06. She apologized for mistreating the man, according to the information.

            "It is incomprehensible to me that a family who claims to love someone could treat him this way," Bateman said, according to the website. "I think he was a cash cow for you. You took his money and didn't give him the slightest bit of care."

            The four defendants all were allowed to live rent- and utility-free in a pair of neighboring residences Weaver Sr. owned in the 100 block of Union Road in exchange for caring for him. An investigation of a bank account belonging to Weaver Sr. and Virginia Weaver showed that between 2013 and early 2017, only $6,417.72 had been spent on his care despite some $150,000 in deposits. Most of the deposits came from Weaver Sr.'s pension and Social Security payments.

            Albert Weaver Sr., 84, died Nov. 22, 2016 at the St. Luke's Hospice in Bethlehem. On Dec. 8, the attending physician told law enforcement officials that the elderly man was suffering from "severe starvation," and that a medical intervention was necessary, according to the police criminal complaint.

            In January of 2017, an emergency room nurse who treated the man, told investigators he had deep bed sores on several locations of his body, including a large one at the base of his spine. She described him as being put in a room and being left there. An emergency room trauma nurse with eleven years of experience, she described his condition as the worst case of neglect she has seen, according to affidavit of probable cause filed in the Richland Township court of District Judge Lisa J. Gaier.

            An autopsy by Dr. Ian Hood found that the man was septic, severely dehydrated and malnourished. In his report, the forensic pathologist noted that a modicum of prevention would have stopped the diseases that caused his death. He called the situation a severe case of neglect, according to court records.

            A second forensic pathologist, Dr. Zhongxue Hua, presented the opinion that medical neglect led to the death of Albert Weaver Sr., the document states. 

            At 1:17 a.m. on Nov. 10, 2016, emergency responders were dispatched to a home in the 100 block of Union Road for the report of an unresponsive person. The caller, Anthony Dorney, told emergency responders that he was giving "his grandfather" his daily bath, but that the man was no longer responsive, according to the legal document.

            A responding paramedic described the interior of the property as deplorable. She described the clothing and garbage strewn on the floor and "the smell of infection," according to court records. She noticed bruising on the body of Albert Weaver Sr., and stated that he "looked like a skeleton with skin hanging on him." According to the emergency responder, the man felt cold to the touch. She called this a severe case of neglect.

            Albert Weaver Jr. and Virginia Weaver served as the man's primary caregivers, according to medical reports. The couple lives in a separate residence on the same property, according to the legal document. Amanda Weaver and Dorney were residing with Albert Weaver Sr. at the time of the incident.

            Virginia Weaver told investigators that she served as the elderly man's caretaker until she had her pancreas removed. At that time, she allowed Amanda Weaver and Dorney to move into the house under the stipulation that they care for Albert Weaver Sr. Virginia Weaver resumed her job as the primary caregiver after approximately six months. She said Albert Weaver Jr. would help when she needed it, according to court records.