Uniontown man charged with homicide in brother’s starvation death
A Uniontown man is facing homicide charges after police said his 40-year-old brother, who is a paraplegic, died from starvation and dehydration May 28.
Mark Charles Matlock, 38, of Lenox Street was charged with criminal homicide, neglecting care of a dependent person and recklessly endangering another person in the death of James Sullivan.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by police, Sullivan’s friend called 911 May 28, reporting Sullivan was having difficulty breathing, prompting medical and police personnel to respond.
Sullivan, Uniontown City police said, was found lying in a hospital bed at the Lenox Street home with soiled blankets. He had colostomy surgery, but the catheter was not attached to a bag, according to court documents. Sullivan died shortly after officers arrived. Police said Sullivan had “numerous maggots” on him, raw flesh and sores. Mary Matlock, his mother, told police on the scene that “her son was stubborn and refused to let her or anyone help him,” adding he stopped eating several days before.
A finally autopsy report sent to police Oct. 10 said Sullivan died of acute and chronic advanced malnutrition and dehydration. The report listed significant contributing factors including gunshot wounds resulting in paraplegia, a catheter and colostomy without collection bags and fecal impaction, ulcers, insect infestation and cocaine and marijuana use. The death was listed as a homicide.
Adam Lowry, Sullivan’s friend, told police he was planning to take Sullivan to the hospital the day he died. He said he called 911 after Sullivan woke him up screaming. Sullivan told him not to call 911, he said.
“Lowry believes Sullivan just gave up,” police wrote in court paperwork.
Lowry described Sullivan as “one of his best friends” during an interview with city police. He said he cared for Sullivan while Mark Matlock was in jail. He told police no one cared for Sullivan’s wounds, and claimed Sullivan ate regularly until a few days before his death.
“Lowry stated that Mark was the only one who could get Sullivan to do anything, and that Sullivan would swing a cane at his mother,” police wrote in court paperwork.
City police obtained patient care reports for Sullivan, which showed he had seven appointments scheduled at Centerville Clinic between Aug. 15, 2017 and Oct. 17, 2017, but was never seen at the clinic for care.
On Oct. 6, 2017, he was seen as a new patient at Fayette Home Care and Hospice, police said. He was transferred to hospice care after going to Uniontown Hospital Sept. 21, 2017 with a kidney infection. The hospice care report described Sullivan as “very pleasant,” listing medical conditions including paraplegia from gunshot wounds, Hepatitis C, ulcers, a colostomy and catheter, and a surgically-fused bone in his foot with hardware protruding through his skin. Mark Matlock was listed as his primary caregiver, police said.
Mary Matlock reportedly told hospital staff that Mark Matlock “never leaves [Sullivan’s] side.” A hospice report Oct. 30, 2017 said Sullivan told hospice workers he and his brother could perform his own wound care, adding that they removed sutures from his foot themselves. Sullivan missed an appointment Nov. 10, 2017. The following week, he told a doctor at Uniontown Hospital he and his brother cared for his wounds. Sullivan was then discharged from home care services.
Lowry told police he eventually moved into the Lenox Street home to help full time by cooking, cleaning and picking up medications. The water was turned off since around April 20, and had not been turned on since then, he said. Lowry told police he got water from a neighbor.
Lowry reportedly said he did not know Sullivan’s wounds were so severe until he saw EMS pull the blankets from his friend’s body. He said he thought Sullivan changed bandages himself, though he never saw him do it. Lowry told police he did not know Sullivan was “that bad,” court documents stated.
At one point, he said he tried to call 911 but Sullivan refused to be treated. He said he did not notice a smell because of pets in the house. In Lowry’s time at the home, he said “he never saw Sullivan’s wounds and Sullivan would not allow him to help.” Police said Lowry told them he bought Sullivan baby wipes to clean himself, but only saw him use them on his upper body. Sullivan’s catheter was draining into milk jugs, which Lowry would dump out, he said.
Lowry said he repeatedly told Sullivan he should go to the hospital, but Sullivan refused until the night before he died when they agreed to go the next morning. Over the time he cared for Sullivan, Lowry said he was “trying to fatten him up.”
Matlock was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Michael Metros, who denied bail in the case.