Case study: Delmar Secor: He shriveled up and died as neighbor watchedReport by Dean Mosiman (Wisconsin State Journal)
DE PERE — So much happened behind the weathered white pillars and clapboard siding of Delmar Secor's lifelong home.
And not nearly enough.
At his death, Secor, 89, lay face down on a floor in his two-story house set amid grand homes in a National Historic District blocks from the Fox River in this city of 23,000 just south of Green Bay.
During his life, he had been salutatorian of De Pere High School's class of 1931, a World War II veteran and the owner of two movie theaters in town.
When he died, he weighed 89 pounds, his dehydrated and malnourished body resembling an Auschwitz victim.
The home was so filled with debris, garbage and human waste that, when later inspected, it was deemed unfit for human habitation.
There were people who knew Secor as an eccentric recluse.
No one saw the truth, and no one managed to save him.
Some believed Secor was being cared for by his longtime next-door-neighbor,
Dean Krause, a businessman and De Pere city councilman for 20 years.
Krause, who saw Secor regularly, found his lifeless body just after midnight on April 26, 2001. A few months earlier, Secor had given Krause power of attorney over his affairs and changed his will to make Krause his sole heir.
Abridged Article SOURCE
When he died, he weighed 89 pounds, his dehydrated and malnourished body resembling an Auschwitz victim.
The home was so filled with debris, garbage and human waste that, when later inspected, it was deemed unfit for human habitation.
There were people who knew Secor as an eccentric recluse.
No one saw the truth, and no one managed to save him.
Some believed Secor was being cared for by his longtime next-door-neighbor,
Dean Krause, a businessman and De Pere city councilman for 20 years.Krause, who saw Secor regularly, found his lifeless body just after midnight on April 26, 2001. A few months earlier, Secor had given Krause power of attorney over his affairs and changed his will to make Krause his sole heir.
Abridged Article SOURCE
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The Wisconsin State Journal and Dean Mosiman should be congratulated on doing a series of reports and case studies on Elder Abuse. The series, the most comprehensive coverage to date by a newspaper, provided an excellent range of reports and resources.
In this day and age, where most media shun reports on anything that are Not considered "sexy" or "headline grabbers", the WSJ has made a brave move.
The Wisconsin State Journal and Dean Mosiman should be congratulated on doing a series of reports and case studies on Elder Abuse. The series, the most comprehensive coverage to date by a newspaper, provided an excellent range of reports and resources.
In this day and age, where most media shun reports on anything that are Not considered "sexy" or "headline grabbers", the WSJ has made a brave move.
Well Done! Let us see if others will follow their excellent lead.
(Pls. click on the first image to go to the WSJ Multimedia Page. Excellent coverage.)
(Pls. click on the first image to go to the WSJ Multimedia Page. Excellent coverage.)
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