Technically, I'm not qualified to talk about how a hoarder thinks, but I have spent a night at a Holiday Inn Express before. With that said, I will say there is always some level of discomfort with having company over to the house if you're a hoarder. Which brings me to this story out of Griffin, GA that just hit the wire.
At the beginning of May, Janie Hartley took a fall inside of her home. She hurt herself so bad that she asked her husband of 44 years, Jimmy Ray Hartley to dial 911 for an ambulance. Instead of dialing 911, Jimmy Ray decided to leave his wife, who was already battling an unmentioned illness, lying there on the floor. For two weeks, Jimmy Ray fed Janie on the floor until she died.
On May 21, Spaulding County police arrived at the couple's home to investigate a report of a death at that address. After learning from Jimmy Ray about Janie's demise, the officers arrested him and hauled him off to jail. When they asked Jimmy Ray why he didn't call for help when Janie fell, he told them that his wife was a hoarder and he was ashamed of the way their house looked.
*insert record scratch*
I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that statement from him. He was too embarrassed? Alright, hypothetically, let's say that I sympathize with that statement. The house is too messy to have EMTs inside. Okay. What I don't understand is why he didn't try to move her. Or why he didn't call a friend or family member and try to get her to the hospital. Sure he fed her, but what was he expecting to do? Feed her for the rest of her life? Well, I guess he did feed her for the rest of her life. But it seems to me that he was counting on her to die, and she did just that.
Jimmy Ray was only charged with reckless conduct. A mere slap on the hand compared to what he should have been charged with.
