Woman charged with murder, elder abuse in mother's death

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Judy Ann Smothers was arrested Friday on suspicion of second-degree murder and second-degree elder abuse in the death of her mother, 87-year-old Theresa Smothers.

Judy Ann Smothers pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to Missouri Casenet, no future court date had been scheduled as of Sunday.

The younger Smothers was released on bond.

The 65-year-old Smothers originally was arrested Dec. 29 on suspicion of assault and elder abuse after police found her mother malnourished and lying in a bed soaked in fecal matter and urine.

She was booked at the Butler County Jail and released at 5 p.m. Dec. 30 at the end of a 24-hour hold, said Poplar Bluff detective Andrew Cleaveland.

Police said Theresa Smothers was found conscious but unaware of her surroundings, naked, in what they described as extremely serious condition, weighing only 71 pounds.

She suffered from extreme malnutrition and dehydration and open bed sores and had lost more than half her body weight in three months.

According to earlier reports, Judy Ann Smothers told police she could have taken better care of her mother but was too tired.

Local authorities were alerted to the conditions in the Poplar Bluff home by a hotline call from hospice workers, who reported the woman’s condition to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Police were told by state officials the victim was receiving one prepackaged cup of applesauce a day.

Cleaveland said Theresa Smothers never regained the cognitive ability to speak with police officers.

She spent her last two days at Westwood Hillls Health and Rehabilitation Center in Poplar Bluff, where Cleaveland said staff worked to make her as comfortable as possible before she died at 4:50 a.m. Dec. 31.