Michigan woman gets 13-20 years for abusing disabled sister

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Updated 2:13 pm, Friday, October 27, 2017

CORUNNA, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan woman who authorities say kept her disabled adult sister locked in a closet has been sentenced to the maximum 13 1/3 to 20 years in prison.

WJRT-TV reports Candy Lawson learned her sentence Friday after being convicted last month on charges of abuse, false imprisonment and embezzlement. Prosecutors say she stole disability benefits intended for her sister.

Prosecutors say Lawson gave her sister little food, water or clothing. A construction worker found the sister in 2015. Police said the sister weighed just 71 pounds.

Lawson testified during her trial that the she kept her sister in a room, not a closet, and needed to lock her sister in at night because she would otherwise wander off. Lawson denied restricting access to food.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Michigan-woman-gets-13-20-years-for-abusing-12312139.php

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[iluvtennis]

1. To do something so cruel to your own flesh and blood, she deserves a special place down below. nt

[LisaL]

4. They weren't genetically related.

Sister was adopted.

[kimbutgar]

2. She probably lived on her disabled sisters social security.

Scum

[LiberalLovinLug]

3. The sister was also deaf and dumb

Not much in that link. Just from reading that short story, I was almost thinking the sentence was a bit harsh. I found a bit more information in these articles:

http://metro.co.uk/2017/09/27/woman-kept-deaf-sister-locked-in-closet-for-seven-years-while-stealing-benefits-6958489/

http://people.com/crime/michigan-woman-kept-disabled-sister-locked-closet/

[LisaL]

5. According to the link, there was also a brother who died at 33, with the same disabilities and

weighing only 60 pounds.

[LiberalLovinLug]

6. Yes, and that she was perhaps continuing the treatment that their mother was using on her sister

and brother. That it was normalized by her already.

Sick.

[Judi Lynn]

7. The sister would still be there,if she hadn't simply died first, had the worker not called the cops.

This story is profoundly disturbing.

Thank you for providing these two links. They add much needed information.

Best wishes for the sister's psychological survival.