Caregiver stole thousands in jewelry from dying woman
theGRIO REPORT - An in-home caregiver has reportedly admitted to stealing jewelry from a terminally ill woman she was trusted to care for, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
A Florida in-home caregiver has reportedly admitted to stealing jewelry from a terminally ill woman she was trusted to care for, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
Kathleen E. Barrett admitted to police that while 84-year-old Joanne Irving lay dying on June 24th,she took thousands of dollars worth of jewelry off her body.
Soon after paramedics arrived and rushed Irving to a Boca Raton where she died.
Police began an investigation after the executor of Irving’s estate reported the $9,000 worth of jewelry was missing from Irving’s body.
In a September 7th interview with police Barrett first said that she did not steal or pawn any items, but later admitted she took the items to pay bills and buy groceries.
Barrett pawned the items for a total of $870, far less than what they were actually worth.
“I will never forget this until the day I die, that somebody would strip from an 84-year-old woman things that she and her husband had worked their entire lives for,” Irving’s daughter-in-law, Sandy Irving said.
Barrett turned herself in last Friday and was released on $4,500 later that day.
When reached for further comment on the allegations by the Sun-Sentinel, Barrett hung up.
Follow Melissa Noel on Twitter at @noelknowswell.
