Woman accused of leaving 76-year-old husband on toilet for 19 hours, resulting in his death

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WDTV/Gray News) – A woman is accused of leaving her 76-year-old husband on the toilet for 19 hours, which resulted in injuries that played a significant role in his death, according to police.

Margaret Rog, 75, is charged with abuse or neglect of an incapacitated adult, according to the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office.

On Aug. 20, the victim, who had been diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer’s, legal blindness and multiple other physical and medical conditions, went to the bathroom at around 3 p.m. When Rog was unable to get him up, she left him unattended on the toilet without food, water or prescribed medications.

Rog’s husband stayed there until the next morning around 10 a.m., when a speech therapist arrived for an in-home visit and called an ambulance after she noticed he was unresponsive and in dangerously poor condition, according to court documents.

Deputies said Rog watched her husband groaning in pain, never called anyone for help and went to bed, leaving him unattended and unresponsive in the bathroom.

When Rog’s husband arrived at the hospital, he was diagnosed with heart failure, respiratory failure, pulmonary embolism, wounds on his backside, shortness of breath, altered mental status, hypernatremia, sepsis and rhabdomyolysis, according to court documents.

On Aug. 31, Rog’s husband died at the hospital.

Deputies said his condition and injuries sustained from being left on the toilet were determined to have been “significant contributing factors” to his death.

Court documents allege Rog made several statements to law enforcement, adult protection services and family members during the investigation, which incriminated herself and indicated she comprehended the victim’s need for assistance but deliberately decided against providing it.

Rog is currently in the North Central Regional Jail with bond set at $75,000.