Man charged after reportedly leaving wife lying in floor for days

Tom Smith, born in 1954, of Bakersfield, has been summonsed to appear in Ozark County Court before Associate Judge Raymond Gross at 9 a.m. Oct. 15, for a charge of elder abuse.

According to the probable cause statement, prepared by Ozark County Sheriff’s Deputy Stephen Ator, at 9:10 a.m. Oct. 17, 2023, the officer was dispatched to a residence in Bakersfield. 

“Upon arrival, I entered the house and went to a bedroom. Ambulance personnel and first responders were tending to a nude elderly woman. The victim was lying on the floor in her own feces and urine. The woman was in physical duress. She was awake and alert but mentally disoriented,” Ator wrote in his report. 

The victim was transported to Ozarks Healthcare in West Plains for treatment. The report says Tom had waited four days before seeking assistance for his wife. 

The range of punishment for the class A misdemeanor is up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.