Three caretakers have been charged with aggravated neglect of an elderly vulnerable adult stemming from an incident nearly a year ago after an 87-year-old Estill Springs woman was hospitalized and later died from gangrene.

A press release from the Estill Springs Police Department says Ronald Wilson, Jay Wilson and Jennifer Wilson are being held in Franklin County Jail, each on a $300,000 bond, in connection with elder-abuse charges.

Police identified the victim as Vera Wilson, who had resided on Gaul Street. The three charged include Ms. Wilson’s two sons and a daughter-in-law, police said.

Reports said that on Dec. 8, 2022, police were dispatched to a Gaul Street residence in reference to a medical call about an 87-year-old woman who was having trouble breathing and not responding to verbal communication.

There were three adult caretakers within the residence who were assisting the victim, reports said, adding that they advised officers of medical conditions and that the patient had not been acting normally for a couple of weeks prior to calling on that date.

Once emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene, officers helped paramedics move the victim from a chair she was sitting in to a stretcher, reports said. Once the blankets were removed, officers and paramedics recalled a strong smell of ammonia coming from the victim, reports said.

Reports said officers also observed bed bugs in the chair where Ms. Wilson was sitting. When she was being moved, an incontinence pad had fallen off that had further exposed open wounds on the victim, reports said.

The caretakers were asked when the last time was that the patient had been changed, but no one was able to give an answer, reports said.

Paramedics transferred the patient to Vanderbilt Hospital in Tullahoma where she had stayed for three days before passing away due to her condition and neglect at home, reports said.

An autopsy was conducted where it was determined that she had passed away due to a gangrene infection from her gall stones, reports said, adding that Ms. Wilson had three pressure ulcers on her buttocks and legs.

An investigation was conducted, and officers deemed they had found enough evidence to present the case to a grand jury which determined on Nov. 14 that there was enough probable cause to indict the three caregivers, reports said.