Alzheimer's Patient Won't Be Charged In Killing
GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) — Prosecutors say they will not file criminal charges against an 87-year-old Alzheimer's patient accused of killing his roommate at an assisted living facility in Lakewood.
The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office said Friday the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo had deemed Homer Castor incompetent. Prosecutor Scott Storey says Castor will likely spend the rest of his life in the institute.
Police say Castor beat 76-year-old Gerald Propp to death on Feb. 21 in the room they shared at Atria Applewood.
Staff at the facility said Castor's mental illness made him difficult to understand and at times aggressive. An earlier encounter between the roommates left Propp, a fellow dementia sufferer, with scratches on his neck.
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