Inset: Kathryn A. Payton (Vanderburgh County). Background: The area in Indiana where Payton lives with her father and brother (Google Maps).
A 51-year-old woman in Indiana is accused of forcing her elderly father and developmentally delayed brother to live in “overwhelming” squalor, allegedly leaving the victims covered in their own waste because she wanted to “teach them a lesson” about hygiene.
Kathryn Ann Payton, of Evansville, is charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent. Following her arrest and booking, Payton posted bond and has since been released from detention, court records show.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, the harrowing conditions inside the apartment were only discovered after a pest control company attempted to conduct a routine quarterly treatment on May 1. When the technician encountered a resident who appeared unwell and was physically covered in waste, the apartment complex manager contacted police for a welfare check.
Upon arrival, responding officers encountered a scene described as “overwhelming to the point that it caused nausea.” Inside the residence, police located Payton”s father, a “medically frail” man suffering from cognitive decline, and her brother, who is developmentally delayed and suffers from multiple physical ailments.
Both men were reportedly found “covered in urine and feces” with clothing and bedding that was “extremely soiled.” Investigators noted that feces — consistent with both human and animal waste — was found on the floors, on the furniture where the men sat, and even on a pillow where the father slept.
Medical personnel who arrived on the scene documented a severe lack of care that had persisted for an extended period. One of the men was found in a recliner with a “labored, hacking cough” and clothing soaked in waste “down to the knees,” and he appeared to have remained in that state for several days. His oxygen levels were recorded at a dangerously low 87%.
The other man, located in a back bedroom, was unable to stand without assistance and was found with “open sores on his body” and a “rattling cough.”
When questioned by authorities, Payton identified herself as the primary caregiver for both men. She initially claimed she did not know why they had not cleaned themselves and stated she had checked on them earlier in the day. However, her narrative reportedly shifted as she admitted she was fully aware of the unsanitary conditions and the fact that the men were living in their own waste.
Payton allegedly told investigators that because the two men would not clean themselves, she “showed them” by removing their television and Amazon Fire Stick so they could not watch TV. She further admitted to not helping in order to “teach them a lesson,” according to statements provided by emergency medical technicians included in the affidavit.
The neglect reportedly extended to their basic medical needs as well. Despite the rattling cough and weakened state of her brother, Payton allegedly told police that he had been sick for approximately a week but had not been taken to a doctor. She reportedly told investigators that if he chose not to go to a physician, “he would just sit with it.”
The investigation also apparently revealed a stark disparity in living conditions. While Payton’s father and brother were confined to the filth of the apartment, authorities discovered that Payton was residing in a separate home in the 600 block of Kingswood Drive —a residence actually owned by her father. The apartment manager also informed police they were unaware the brother was even residing in the Lincoln Avenue unit.
Based on the observations at the scene, investigators determined that both men lacked the “mental or physical ability to care for themselves,” rendering Payton’s “punishment” of the cognitively impaired men both ineffective and dangerous. The affidavit concludes that Payton “knowingly allowed both individuals to remain in a condition where they were covered in feces and urine for an extended period of time,” creating an “imminent danger to their life and well-being.”
Both victims were transported to Deaconess Gateway Hospital for emergency medical treatment and stabilization. Doctors subsequently admitted both men for further care due to their “medically compromised” states.
Payton’s next court appearance has not yet been finalized. The investigation into the extent of the neglect remains ongoing.
