A 59-year-old woman from Texas, Suzette Annette Kefauver, finds herself in legal trouble, accused of using an assistive device meant for the disabled, a gait belt, to strangle her 80-year-old mother, Vivian Norwood Kefauver, leading to the elderly woman's tragic death, as per a Harris County criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office reports that the murder weapon in this case was a gait belt, a readily available product designed to aid individuals with mobility issues in moving around, standing, or transferring between a bed and a wheelchair.
On November 17, a deputy responded to a call at the Kefauver residence on Forest Knoll Drive in Houston, finding a neighbor performing CPR on the victim. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel noted bruising and redness on Vivian Kefauver's neck, prompting her transport to a hospital, where she later passed away.
Suzette Kefauver allegedly informed the deputy that her mother was in the living room consuming a Boost shake and claimed to have left the room briefly, returning to find her mother on the floor. Denying knowledge of her mother's breathing status, she downplayed any suggestion of abuse despite the visible bruises.
Recounting the incident, Suzette stated that she attempted to lift her mother back onto the sofa, initially using her hands and later resorting to the gait belt when unsuccessful. Realizing her mother might not be breathing, she sought help from a neighbor, leading to a failed joint attempt to lift the deceased woman. The neighbor reported Suzette's refusal to perform CPR when instructed by the 911 dispatcher.
During a subsequent police interview, Suzette denied using the gait belt to lift her mother by the neck, contradicting the state's assertion based on a visible ligature mark observed on the complainant's neck.
Suzette Kefauver faces a $1 million bond and is scheduled for a court appearance on Monday.
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