COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Powder Springs man has been convicted of elder neglect after a man died under his care in 2017, according to the Cobb County District Attorney.
The Cobb County District Attorney said that 91-year-old Adam Bennett was found with a bruised lip back in August of 2017. Bennett told a caregiver at Sunrise Assisted Living Center, on Johnson Ferry Road, that Landon Terrel hurt him.
Bennett told the unnamed caregiver, “He punched me,” while motioning to his face, chest, and groin. The release said Bennett became unresponsive shortly after that revelation and was rushed to WellStar Kennestone Hospital. Officials noted that his injuries included "facial bruising, multiple rib fractures, and a collapsed lung." Unable to regain consciousness, he died on August 18 - three days after he was found injured.
Authorities said that the evidence pointed to Terrel, 35, who was the only male working the overnight shift at the facility that night. Terrell denied hitting Bennett and denied seeing any facial bruising when he last checked on Bennett around 6 a.m. August 1, according to the release.
However, Terrel told investigators that he caught Bennett when he fell out of bed the previous evening and that the elderly man had banged his chest on the bed. The former caregiver also said that Bennett repeatedly told him he was in pain, but he used "poor judgment" by ignoring those complaints.
The Cobb County Medical Examiner said that Bennett's death was the result of blunt force trauma, according to the release.
However, Terrel was found not guilty of two counts of elder abuse and one count of felony murder based on abuse. The release states that "the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the charge of felony murder based on neglect."
Terrel's sentencing is scheduled for August 19 at 1:30 p.m. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Senior ADA Jason Marbutt said, "Too often we think of justice as a result, instead of a process. This was a tough case, with tough facts. We respect the verdict delivered by the jury."
He remains in custody.
