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Caretaker sentenced after elder abuse caught on camera

Posted at 6:54 PM, Apr 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-15 20:54:12-04

FARMINGTON, Utah — Judge Michael Edwards sentenced 30-year-old Jason Knox to 1 to 15 years in prison for abusing elderly patients at a senior living center.

Surveillance video shows Knox shoving Richard Crossley in his bed. Knox pleaded guilty to four charges laid against him of aggravated abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

Three charges were considered second-degree felonies, one was considered a third-degree felony. Each sentence will be carried out concurrently.

“I’m as happy as I could be with it,” said Kellie Bingham, Crossley’s daughter.

Bingham had suspicions about how her father was being treated and placed a camera in his room. What it revealed was awful.

The video shows Knox shoving Crossley against the wall while laying in his bed.

“To see that, I was just absolutely sick to my stomach,” said Bingham.

On a visit, Bingham said Crossley kept pointing to his chest. When Bingham didn’t understand what he was trying to show her, Crossley pulled her hand underneath his shirt, placing her hand a purple bruise.

Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Crossley is unable to communicate verbally with Bingham, but Bingham said she can tell he’s hurting.

“He still has severe anxiety,” said Bingham. “It takes him hours to fall asleep at night. He sits there and rubs his head, and is just as frightened as can be.”

Though it’s hard to watch, Bingham said she hopes their story can help protect other families from going through what her father has.

“Currently there are nearly 6 million people in America that have Alzheimer’s,” said Bingham. “Stats say 47% of those people are abused.”

Statistics she hopes to change — Bingham said she is working with Utah legislators with a desire to push for legislation, protecting people here in Utah from Alzheimer’s.