Chesco man charged with murder for allegedly neglecting father

A Chester County man was charged with murder Wednesday for allegedly causing the death of his elderly father by neglect.

Edward O'Brien III, 61, of West Whiteland Township, was arrested in the death of his 92-year-old father, who was found dead at the son's residence in September 2013, the District Attorney said.

After the son neglected to continue his father's prescription medication and medical care, Edward O'Brien Jr. died due to built-up fluid in his lungs that stopped him from breathing, officials said. The medication, prescribed after the elder suffered congestive heart failure, specifically prevents fluid build-up.

O'Brien Jr. was found covered in acute bedsores and with feces on his body. An autopsy showed the bedsores were also a cause of death. He had lost 57 pounds from his original weight, officials said.

A U.S. Army veteran and widower from Collingswood, N.J., O'Brien Jr. was moved into a rehabilitation hospital in 2011 after sustaining a fall at his home. However, his son checked him out of the hospital and returned him to live alone at his New Jersey home without arranging for the 24-hour care the hospital said would be necessary.

He also transferred $30,000 from his father's bank account to his own, officials said.

Police checked on O'Brien Jr. the day after he returned to Collingswood and found he was not receiving 24-hour care. They said they would report it to Adult Protective Services, so O'Brien III moved his father into his own home in West Whiteland, where they lived together until the elder's death.

At the time of his father's death, O'Brien III told police that his father had not wanted to stay at the rehabilitation hospital or see a doctor.

O'Brien Jr. served in the Army from 1942-1945 and then became an employee of the United States Postal Service, the District Attorney said.

His son has been charged with third degree murder, theft, and related offenses. A preliminary hearing is set for May 11.