Musician charged in mother’s death
Woman, 89, reportedly wanted no medical help for five days after falling at home
For five days in December, as his 89-year-old mother lay injured on the floor of her bedroom, Ron Siwicki dutifully stood aside and waited with her for the end, says his lawyer.
There was to be no hospital visit, no ambulance and no 911 calls. Betty Siwicki reportedly wanted only the comfort of a blanket and the occasional protein drink as life ebbed from her.
“It’s very difficult for me to discuss the facts of the case with him,” said Mike Cook, the lawyer for Siwicki, who was arrested by Winnipeg police soon after his mother’s death.
“When I started to read the police report, he just broke down. He put his head into his hands and was sobbing.”
In a potentially landmark case, Siwicki is facing charges of criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life.
If convicted, the 62-year-old musician faces a maximum of four years in prison.
“You’re 62 years of age. You’ve never been involved in the criminal justice system. Your mom dies and you’re in custody because of this? I can’t imagine a more horrible scenario for this fellow,” said Cook.
On Monday, in a courtroom packed with supporters — many of whom know the accused from the Winnipeg music scene — Siwicki was granted bail. He was also ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment.
“To me it seems like it must have been a misunderstanding,” said Wanda Morris, CEO of Dying With Dignity.
“Did she really want to lie there in pain for five days, or was it a fear that if you called someone, they would force her to be resuscitated or have care?”
Under Canadian law, Siwicki had the right to deny all forms of medical care, including resuscitation.
And if she was incapable due to Alzheimer’s or dementia, her son could have denied it on her behalf.
As a result, it would have been entirely possible for Siwicki to access comfortable end-of-life care without kicking off a yearslong odyssey of being hooked up to life support.
“It’s absolutely possible to get comfort care (morphine, a catheter, etc.) but not have any treatments that you don’t want,” said Morris.
If doctors provide invasive care against the patient’s wishes, meanwhile, they would open themselves up to assault charges. “And she would have the strongest of cases,” said Morris.
Siwicki works as a guitarist in the Winnipeg area, and played in the 1960s band The Boston Tea Party. Since his arrest, friends have painted a picture of him as a devoted caregiver to his mother, who lived with him and reportedly suffered from dementia. Fellow musician Wendy Cameron said Siwicki’s mother used to come to gigs with him and he used to bring home meals to her after he played a set at a Winnipeg bar and restaurant.
The charge of failing to provide the necessities of life is typically handed to parents who starve their babies to death, but it can technically be applied to any caregiver who fails to give food or medical attention to their charge.
Criminal negligence causing death, meanwhile, is the standard charge for drivers who cause fatal accidents by drinking or texting at the wheel.