Caregiver involved in Bath Twp. freezing death of elderly woman sentenced to 6 months behind bars

BATH TWP., Mich. (WILX) - A caregiver has been sentenced for her role in the freezing death of an elderly woman in Bath Township back in 2022.

58-year-old Colleen Kelly O’Connor was sentenced to two years of probation with the first 6-months in jail for her role in the death of an 82-year-old woman in Dec. 2022, announced Attorney General Dana Nessel on Tuesday. O’Connor was convicted in June of 2024 of one count of Second-Degree Vulnerable Adult Abuse.

Previous Coverage: Caregiver to face trial after freezing death of elderly woman

Nessel said the 82-year-old woman was under O’Connor’s care at Vista Springs Imperial Park at Timber Ridge when she died of exposure after being left unsupervised on Dec. 23, 2022.

According to the Attorney General’s office, O’Connor saw the victim attempt to go outside twice without appropriate clothing into a blizzard with single-digit temperatures, subzero windchill, and blowing and drifting snow. Nessel said as a caregiver, O’Connor recklessly failed to act to prevent the victim from going outdoors into the storm, resulting in her death.

A snowplow driver found the 82-year-old in the parking lot around 7 a.m., partially buried in snow. It was unknown how long she was outside. She was taken to a hospital but died due to hypothermia shortly after.

O’Connor was also ordered to pay $1,115.00 in restitution to the victim’s daughter.

“Caregivers bear immense responsibility, which is tragically neglected at times,” Nessel said. “The devastating consequences of this incident underscore the importance of vigilance and compassion in fulfilling that obligation.”

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