Deaf, Blind 21-Year-Old Was Only 59 Pounds at the Time of His Death; Parents and Caregiver Arrested for the Fatal Neglect
Law enforcement officials outside of Philadelphia unveiled charges on Tuesday against three individuals over the death of a disabled young adult male.
Tylim Hatchett, 21, who was deaf, blind, and relied on a wheelchair, was discovered in an emaciated state at his apartment in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 18, according to a release from Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele and Upper Dublin Township Police Chief Francis Wheatley.
Upper Dublin Police responded to a report about an unresponsive person and found Hatchett “severely emaciated and lying on the floor,” the document said.
Sherrilynn Hawkins, 42, Hatchett’s mother and caretaker, and Loretta Harris, 45, a caretaker for the deceased man, were arrested after investigators determined that they had neglected to care for Hatchett, the New York Post reported.
An arrest warrant was also issued for Vernon Hatchett, 39, the young man’s father, who had not been apprehended as of Thursday morning.
They are charged in connection to the neglect of 21-year-old Tylim Hatchett, a care-dependent person, who died on September 18, 2024. https://t.co/2fazkSTL7G
— WFMZ-TV 69News (@69News) December 31, 2024
“Detectives found that from February 2024 to Sept. 18, 2024, Tylim Hatchett had lost 31 pounds, dropping from 91 pounds to 59 pounds in approximately seven months,” the release continued.
“The investigation also found that Hawkins and Harris both were receiving money and submitting hours to Aveanna Healthcare to be compensated for time they were not caring for Tylim Hatchett,” the document added.
Hawkins and Harris would allegedly “clock in” to indicate they were caring for the disabled man when they were not actually caring for him.
Between Sept. 1 and Sept. 18, he was allegedly left alone in the apartment for 356 of the 425 hours.
He required several daily medications but was unable to administer them himself. The investigation found, “Harris had not provided him any medications when she visited.”
“Throughout September, Hawkins messaged Vernon Hatchett multiple times about their son’s deteriorating health yet continued to leave him alone without providing him food or medicine,” the release noted.
An autopsy conducted by a forensic pathologist at the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office found that Hatchett died due to “complications of Cerebral Palsy in the setting of neglect.”
The death was labeled a homicide.
Each of the three defendants was charged with neglect of a care-dependent person.
Hawkins faces charges of first-degree murder, third-degree murder, theft by deception, and other offenses, while Harris faces charges of theft by deception.
Vernon Hatchett is charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Magisterial District Judge Cathleen Kelly Rebar arraigned Harris on Tuesday. The defendant is scheduled for a preliminary hearing next week.
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