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Man accused of letting malnourished father die found guilty

Published  January 29, 2016 7:27am PST
Associated Press

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — A Clark County man accused of letting his elderly father die of malnutrition and leaving the body to decompose as he collected the dead man's Social Security benefits has been found guilty.

The Columbian reports that a jury found 47-year-old Ronald Ahlquist guilty of first- and second-degree manslaughter, identity theft and theft.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Feb. 23.

Prosecutors say 75-year-old Norman Ahlquist died in late 2013. His body was discovered in a van when Ronald Ahlquist asked a friend to help him transport him to the coroner's office.

According to autopsy results, the 75-year-old man died of malnutrition, but dementia and neglect were underlying contributors. He weighed 85 pounds at the time of the autopsy.