A 68-year-old Adelaide woman has been arrested and charged with the manslaughter of Ann Marie Smith. She will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today.
Ms Smith died in the Royal Adelaide Hospital on 6 April 2020 in tragic circumstances.
She was admitted with severe ulcerated and infected tissue, and other serious illnesses that developed while she was being cared for in her own home.
It is alleged Ms Smith died of serious criminal neglect and that her death was preventable.
Major Crime Investigation Branch, Detective Superintendent Des Bray said a team of 17 police have been working “tirelessly” on an investigation of all aspects of Ms Smith’s care.
“We have built a picture of Annie’s life since the death of her parents in 2009.
“She led an active and outgoing life from 2009-2018 but in the past two years she became more socially isolated and her quality of life deteriorated,” he said.
Detective Bray said their investigation has seen strong support from the community.
“Cooperation from the public providing information to this investigation has been outstanding, with 74 calls to Crime Stoppers,” he said.
There remains an ongoing coronial inquiry into the cause and circumstances of Ms Smith’s death, and what could or should have been done to prevent it.
A financial investigation is also ongoing.
Anyone with information about Ms Smith can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
“It is important that everyone assists the investigation to ensure we can build a comprehensive report for the Coroner so we can ensure this never happens again,” said Detective Bray.
Image: Crime Stoppers South Australia.
