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HARTSDALE, N.Y. — James Austin of Hartsdale was given an indeterminate sentence of one to three years in state prison Friday in the death of his mother.
Austin, 47, was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter in June. He was accused of neglect resulting in the death of his 71-year-old mother in her Hartsdale home.
Austin called Greenburgh police on July 3, 2011, and told them he found his mother "unresponsive." Austin's mother, Ida, was found dead lying in feces, urine and maggots. She was dehydrated and weighed just 80 pounds, according to police testimony.
Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore argued that Austin had legally assumed the role as his mother's caregiver and had neglected his responsibilities, resulting in her death.
"His abject failure to provide adequate food, water, hygiene and general care along with the abhorrent conditions that existed in the home, along with his concerted efforts to prevent others from getting her help, resulted in this tragic and ultimate outcome," DiFiore said after sentencing.
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