Blue Springs police open death investigation after 72-year-old woman found in motel
Police were investigating the death of a 72-year-old woman last week after she was found dead inside a Blue Springs motel room with possible signs of neglect, according to court records.
Officers were dispatched around 10:45 a.m. July 5 to the Welcome Inn at 3300 N.W. Jefferson St. in regard to the death, according to a search warrant application filed in Jackson County Circuit Court. They were met by a 51-year-old man, the woman’s son and apparent caretaker, who called 911.
The son told officers he checked on his mother the previous morning and saw she was still in bed. He said he went about his day, including a visit to watch fireworks and to “the boat,” and returned in the early morning hours to find her still sleeping.
He told police he checked to see if she wanted breakfast, and discovered she was dead.
Investigators noticed “bed sores and decomposition” on the woman’s body, the warrant says. A judge granted permission for police to conduct a search of the room for evidence of a possible crime related to abuse or neglect that may have contributed to the death.
A Blue Springs police spokeswoman did not immediately reply to an inquiry from The Star regarding the status of the death investigation.
This story was originally published July 13, 2022 at 9:18 AM.
