76-year-old woman dies from infection due to neglect by caretakers, deputies say

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/Gray News) - The son of a 76-year-old South Carolina woman is one of two people charged with neglect after her death from sepsis.

Kevin Carl Clark, 40, and Victoria Delaune, 33, are charged with neglect of a vulnerable adult resulting in death, according to the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.

GRAPHIC WARNING: This story contains details some may find disturbing.

On July 29, deputies responded to a call for service regarding 76-year-old Dianne Clark, Kevin Clark’s mother. She was found unresponsive, and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

The victim was found in “highly unsanitary conditions,” wearing a soiled adult diaper and having bed sores that were actively infested with maggots, according to sheriff spokesperson Lexi Douglas. Her living space also appeared to be infested with insects and deeply soiled with fecal matter, blood stains and other bodily fluids.

Deputies say Kevin Clark and Delaune were acting as caretakers for Dianne Clark, and their neglect of her hygiene led to her death.

The final autopsy report indicated the victim’s cause of death was sepsis because of osteomyelitis, an infection of bone or bone marrow, according to the affidavit.

It was discovered she suffered from what is described as a Stage 4 pressure ulcer on her lower back, which resulted in her lower spinal column protruding through her skin. The exposed spinal area was later contaminated by fecal matter.

Deputies also say Dianne Clark’s medication bottles had not been filled since September 2024.

Both suspects were booked into the Charleston County Jail.