Three charged in the death of an elderly woman discovered bound to a mattress infested with cockroaches, bedbugs, and feces: Prosecutors

In the death of an old woman found tied to a mattress contaminated with cockroaches, bedbugs, and excrement, a Massachusetts daughter, granddaughter, and nurse are charged with egregious negligence.

Eva Fontes Cardoso, 53; Kayla Cardoso, 31; and Lisa Hamilton, 64, were charged with manslaughter, caregiver abuse of an elder, larceny, and Medicaid fraud in connection with the death of Dinora Cardoso, 79, according to a press statement from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

Associated coverage:

The personal care attendant (PCA) for Dinora Cardoso was Eva Cardoso, the victim’s daughter. The elder Cardoso’s health care proxy and surrogate for the PCA Program was Kayla Cardoso, who was also the victim’s granddaughter and Eva Cardoso’s niece.

Prosecutors claim the ladies billed MassHealth for treatments that were never rendered, including services purportedly rendered after Dinora’s death and while she was hospitalized.

Additionally, according to bank documents, Eva Cardoso regularly gave Kayla Cardoso a portion of her PCA checks. For her work as Dinora Cardoso’s personal care assistant, Eva Cardoso received almost $140,000 from MassHealth.

When Eva Cardoso contacted 911 on May 17, 2023, to report that her mother required an ambulance, the matter became public. At a senior living facility, first responders reported that the victim was coated in feces, bedbugs, and cockroaches.

WXFT, a local Fox affiliate, reports that the victim was stuck to the bedding that was covered in flesh. According to the outlet, authorities had to take the woman and the mattress to a hospital so that she could be separated from the bed since first responders were unable to separate her from the mattress.

According to officials, she passed away two days later at a hospital from sepsis brought on by infected ulcers and necrotizing fasciitis.

Prosecutors claim that Hamilton, a certified nurse, visited the woman seven days prior to the 911 call and stated that she was clean, well-cared for, alert, and had her diabetes under control.

The witnesses claim that she made no reference to cockroaches, bedbugs, feces, or pressure ulcers.

Officials claim that Hamilton’s report was in conflict with hospital and EMT records, which made it abundantly evident that Dinora Cardoso had uncontrolled diabetes and that the extent of the bug infestation she had endured would have taken weeks or more to develop.

On January 15, the defendants are expected to appear in court.

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