Part 2: Criminal neglect, overlooked cruelty

After the debacle, the state Office of Inspector General investigated what had gone wrong and prepared a report critical of the welfare department, according to a government official who has read it.

Gov. Rendell refused The Inquirer's request for that report. In a statement, spokeswoman Kate Philips said those reports were kept secret to ensure that state workers were being open with investigators.

"Would you say your boss was a crook if he could see your name in the newspaper after the investigation into his crookedness was reported?"

In August, Clifford Fake was sentenced to 22 to 58 years after pleading guilty to a slew of felonies, including criminal neglect in the deaths of Shucker, Bruzda and Fritz.

As Fake stood meekly in an orange prison jumpsuit, District Attorney Arnold said: "In our opinion, Judge, Mr. Fake should not be eligible for parole until he's at the point where he needs a personal-care or nursing home - and he should pray that he is not treated the way he treated these victims."

On Feb. 15, Tina Fake received 15 to 25 years in prison. It took Lebanon County Judge John C. Tylwalk nearly 20 minutes to run through the charges: assault, neglect of care-dependent persons, recklessly endangering other persons, theft, forgery, false imprisonment, and unlawful restraint.

At her sentencing, she addressed victims and their families: "If my sentence today eases your pain and suffering, then justice has been served."

Legal experts say they believe the sentences are some of the stiffest penalties for dependent-care abuse in Pennsylvania history.

"You would have been more merciful to some of these people," Tylwalk told Tina Fake, "if you had just taken a gun and shot them."