A 74-year-old woman was found dead inside her Baton Rouge home after investigators said she had been largely bedridden and had serious untreated wounds, leading to felony charges against two people who had been caring for her.
Justin Gerard Bueche, 43, and Heidi Pandora Trahan, 42, were arrested after deputies responded to a home on Shady Bluff Drive on September 24 following a report of a deceased person. Both were booked on one count of second-degree cruelty to the elderly and persons with infirmities, according to arrest records.
Investigators said the woman was Bueche’s stepmother and had been living with Bueche and Trahan for about five years. She had suffered a stroke several years earlier and had become increasingly dependent on others for her care.
According to the arrest records, Bueche told investigators that the woman had become completely bedridden about two months before her death and could no longer move from the couch where she was staying.
The investigation also focused on open sores that had developed on her body. Bueche allegedly told deputies that he contacted a local hospital on September 17 to ask what should be done about the wounds. He was reportedly advised that the woman needed to be taken to a hospital.
Investigators said that medical care was not sought afterward.
When deputies found the woman, they reported that she was wearing a red shirt and a heavily soiled adult diaper. Investigators also documented a severe bedsore on her back that exposed tissue and multiple bones. The condition of the wound was among the circumstances cited in the investigation into whether she had received adequate care.
Trahan reportedly told investigators that she was the primary caregiver and was responsible for tasks including bathing the woman and changing her clothing. According to the arrest records, both caregivers acknowledged that the woman’s diaper was changed only about once or twice a day.
Investigators also described troubling conditions inside the home. A search of the residence reportedly found little to no food, while animal urine and feces were found in several areas. The couch where the woman had been staying was also described as being covered with human urine and feces.
The circumstances surrounding the woman’s death have not yet been fully established. The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office is expected to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. The investigation remains ongoing.
Bueche and Trahan remain in custody. The charges are allegations, and neither defendant has been convicted. Further details about their next court appearances had not been publicly released as of the latest reports.
