A North Carolina man, aged 70, has been found guilty of second-degree murder and neglect of a disabled adult resulting in serious injury, following the death of his wife. Prosecutors revealed that the man did nothing as his wife, incapacitated and unable to move, lay on the floor of their home for over half a year. During this time, insects infested her bed sores, contributing to her deteriorating health.
The man, Louis Kornhaber, was convicted on Friday, according to a statement from the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office. Superior Court Judge Matthew J. Osman sentenced Kornhaber to a prison term ranging from 94 months to 125 months, equivalent to seven years and 10 months to 10 years and five months. Kornhaber will be credited for the 1,351 days he has already spent in jail.
Kornhaber’s wife, Bonnie, had returned home on October 6, 2020, after a hospital stay due to a medical condition that left her wheelchair-bound. Kornhaber had used a belt to secure her to her chair. However, she eventually slipped from her chair and became immobilized on the floor, where she remained for between six and eight months, as per the prosecutors’ account.
On June 4, 2021, Bonnie informed her husband that she was experiencing difficulty breathing. Instead of seeking medical assistance, Kornhaber chose to watch television for several hours. When he eventually checked on her, he found her unresponsive and not breathing, prompting him to call 911.
First responders arrived to a distressing scene. Bonnie Kornhaber was found deceased, lying on a pile of garbage and surrounded by spoiled food. The house was described by detectives as a “hoarder house.” Prosecutors noted that Bonnie was covered in her own waste, with extensive sores and insects infesting many of her open bed sores.
Kornhaber confessed to detectives that he had refrained from calling 911 for months due to the embarrassment he and his wife felt about the state of their home. Following his wife’s death, Kornhaber was arrested and has remained in jail since. After a four-day trial, a jury found him guilty.