Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
Sister of dead Abington man who had Down syndrome admits to neglect
Elizabeth Gramlich pleaded guilty to neglect of care of dependent person; two other siblings awaiting trial
NORRISTOWN » An Abington woman admitted to taking part in the neglect of her younger brother who had Down syndrome and who subsquently died of an untreated medical condition.
Elizabeth Anne Gramlich, 60, of the 200 block of Edge Hill Road, showed no emotion on Wednesday as she pleaded guilty during a brief hearing in Montgomery County Court to a felony charge of neglect of care of a dependent person in connection with incidents that occurred in 2020 while she lived with her brother, Timothy.
“Elizabeth Gramlich admitted that she accepted $3,600 intended for Timothy’s care — that would be care for food, shelter, personal hygiene and medical care for the year 2020 — although she received that money, she did not actually care for Timothy. She had not even seen him for years prior despite living in the same household as him,” Assistant District Attorney Gwendolyn Kull said after the hearing, explaining the specific nature of
Gramlich’s admission.
“By pleading guilty she’s admitting that she did not fulfill her role as caretaker even though she accepted this money and because of that Timothy ended up dying on Oct. 18, 2020, of a very treatable urinary tract infection,” Kull added.
In court, Kull alleged Timothy Gramlich weighed only 76 pounds and suffered from bed sores at the
time of his death.
“I didn’t know that until he passed,” Gramlich reacted, emphasizing that she was not Timothy’s primary caretaker.
Two other siblings, Harry A. Gramlich and Joseph T. Gramlich, also were charged in connection with the neglect and are awaiting court action.
According to arrest documents, when detectives interviewed Elizabeth Gramlich she told them she had not seen Timothy for many years, “to the extent that she could not recall the last time she saw him inside the residence.”
“Elizabeth explained that Harry Gramlich was Timothy’s only caretaker although she resided in the same, shared residence,” county Detective John Wittenberger and Abington Detective Sgt. Drew Kent alleged in the arrest affidavit. “Elizabeth stated Timothy regressed to his second-story bedroom in the 1990s after their mother died and it was there that he remained. Elizabeth stated Timothy’s bedroom door was always closed when she would enter the second floor.”
Defense lawyer Jason Kadish declined to comment about the case as he escorted Elizabeth Gramlich from the courtroom.
Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy permitted Elizabeth Gramlich to remain free on $25,000 unsecured bail to await her sentencing hearing. Gramlich must undergo drug, alcohol and mental health evaluations as part of a presentence investigation.
Kadish and Kull revealed in court that there will be a joint recommendation that Elizabeth Gramlich be sentenced to probation. The judge will have sole discretion in fashioning the probationary period.
Gramlich won’t be sentenced until the prosecutions against her two siblings are concluded.
Harry Gramlich, 72, also of the 200 block of Edge Hill Road, who allegedly was the primary caretaker for his brother Timothy, is awaiting trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter and neglect of care of a dependent person in connection with incidents linked to Timothy’s death. A conviction of those charges carries a possible maximum sentence of 12½ to 25 years in prison. Defense lawyer David Scott Nenner represents Harry Gramlich.
Joseph Gramlich, 65, of the 500 block of East Main Street, Lansdale, is awaiting trial on a single felony charge of neglect of care of a dependent person in connection with the alleged incidents. Authorities alleged Joseph Gramlich, who is represented by defense lawyer Carmen Charles Nasuti III, handled Timothy’s financial matters.
An investigation began about 2:27 p.m. Oct. 18, 2020, when Abington police responded to the Gramlich family’s Edge Hill Road residence for a report of a deceased person. Harry Gramlich informed officers that his brother, Timothy, 52, was deceased in a second-floor bedroom, according to the criminal complaint filed by Wittenberger and Kent.
Police found the naked body of Timothy Gramlich wrapped in an article of clothing on a bare, soiled mattress, according to court papers.
“The mattress and floor of the bedroom appeared stained with bodily fluids and feces. The odor of urine and feces was profound. The body of Timothy Gramlich was unclean and appeared emaciated,” Wittenberger and Kent wrote in the arrest affidavit.
Harry Gramlich told police that his brother had Down syndrome and that he last saw his brother alive about 8 p.m. on Oct. 17 when he took him food, according to court papers.
The victim resided in the single-family residence with Harry Gramlich and Elizabeth Gramlich and Harry and Elizabeth resided on the first floor of the residence.
“Harry Gramlich identified himself as Timothy’s sole caretaker,” Wittenberger and Kent alleged.
A subsequent autopsy determined Timothy Gramlich died of urosepsis, which is caused by a urinary tract infection, and the manner of death was ruled undetermined.
“The examination suggested Timothy Gramlich had been neglected and had he undergone routine medical evaluations and care, his death from urosepsis could have been prevented,” detectives alleged.
A forensic pathologist said other indicators of neglect were Timothy’s weight of 76 pounds, “fixed, flexion contractures of hips and knees with no pathological basis for them,” pressure-induced ulcerations of his lower extremities and the “poor, soiled conditions Harry Gramlich exposed him to,” according to the arrest affidavit.
Harry Gramlich allegedly told detectives he fed his brother twice a day and with each meal gave him two bottles of water, adding he typically fed Timothy peanut butter sandwiches and oatmeal and other meals that were prepared in a crock pot and that his brother was eating meals without any assistance.
Harry Gramlich allegedly described his brother as bedridden for the past six months and he admitted that Timothy had been non-verbal for many years. Harry Gramlich allegedly explained Timothy had not received any medical care in years.
Joseph Gramlich, who did not live in the home, told detectives he had not seen Timothy since 2003 because Timothy “withdrew and didn’t leave his room unless he was going to use the bathroom,” according to court papers. Joseph Gramlich believed the last time Timothy had seen a physician was in the early 2000s, according to court papers.
Joseph Gramlich allegedly told investigators he was Timothy’s representative payee for Social Security funds, which were automatically deposited into a bank account each month. Joseph claimed he would withdraw $3,600 a year and give it to Elizabeth to buy groceries for the year and stated he would use $3,000 each year to pay for Timothy’s medical insurance, according to court papers.
Detectives said Joseph Gramlich held a joint bank account with Timothy, who was named beneficiary. On April 16, 2011, the account balance was $83,685.44 and as of Oct 31, 2020, the account balance was $14,418.27, according to court papers. Timothy’s monthly Social Security checks had been directly deposited into the account, detectives said.
On April 10, 2014, the amount of $70,000 was withdrawn from the joint account and deposited into a high-yield savings account in the name of Joseph Gramlich, and as of Oct. 30, 2020, the account balance was $38,232.99, according to court documents.
“Joseph Gramlich, the representative payee for Timothy Gramlich’s Social Security benefits, failed to provide Timothy care, goods or services that were necessary to preserve his health, safety and welfare,” Wittenberger and Kent alleged in the arrest affidavit.