A Calgary mother has been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life for her developmentally disabled daughter, who was found dead in the family's southwest home on Tuesday.
Police were called to a home in the 0-100 block of Woodridge Close S.W. for reports of a woman in medical distress at about 3:00 a.m.
Crews found the woman unresponsive and she was later pronounced dead.
The victim has been identified as 38-year-old Melissa Couture and the CPS Homicide Unit has been called in to investigate.
Police say that Melissa had a developmental disability, along with other chronic medical issues, and that she did not receive the medical attention she needed while under her mother's care.
“It would appear from our initial investigation in response to that residence that the standard of care set out in the Criminal Code was not met and that resulted in that charge being laid,” said Inspector Don Coleman of the Calgary Police Service Major Crimes Section. “We believe it had been some time since any medical care had been rendered. I can confirm that neighbourhood inquiries have confirmed that a wheelchair was present in the home.”
Patricia Couture, 68, of Calgary, has been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life for her daughter.
Neighbour, John Byers has lived in the area for 30 years and says the Coutures have lived in the community for as long as he has.
“Pat has been a single parent for most of Melissa’s life and I would say I don’t know a more dedicated mother than Pat was to Melissa. 24-7, she fought for her to get her into regular public school so she could be integrated more into the community but Melissa was just, she couldn’t speak, she couldn’t hear, she was mentally challenged. I mean this is a shock to me, because Pat spent her whole life looking after Melissa,” said Byers.
Byers says last few years have been hard on Pat and says he hadn’t seen Melissa in about a year.
“You know when you get so exhausted from looking after somebody like that for so long, maybe something happened,’ he said. “I thought maybe she had been institutionalized but that might not be true and if she’s been at home, looking after Melissa in a wheelchair, I mean, that shows her dedication.”
An autopsy is underway to determine the exact cause of death.
Pat Couture is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
Anyone with information about the incident can contact the Calgary Police Service’s non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 or the Homicide Unit tip line at 403-428-8877.
Anonymous tips may also be left with Crime Stoppers using any of the following methods:
TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org
TEXT: tttTIPS to 274637
