Background: The Greencastle, Ind. neighborhood where Randy Halton lived with his late mother (Google Maps). Inset: Randy Halton (Greencastle Police Department).
An Indiana man who was acting as his elderly mother’s caregiver was accused by police of allegedly starving her to death.
Randy Halton, 51, was booked on suspicion that he let his mother, Sandra Halton, become so malnourished by the time she died that she was “literally skin and bones,” according to court documents obtained by WXIN, a local Fox affiliate. Sandra Halton, whose age was not provided, was found dead by her son on the morning of Dec. 5, 2024. He called for assistance and officers responded to their home in Greencastle, some 50 miles southwest of Indianapolis, where they found Sandra Halton dead in her bedroom, having taken on a “mummified appearance.”
According to the court documents, Randy Halton told police that his mother had suffered from several health issues, although only a thyroid issue was cited. The seemingly infirm woman was apparently having issues with her diet and wasn’t eating, including the night before her son found her dead.
An autopsy determined her cause of death was malnutrition. The report noted that Sandra Halton had no solid food in her digestive system at the time of her death. When a bandage was pulled from her skin during the autopsy, her skin apparently came off.
Randy Halton told police that he had tried to get his mother to eat and drink before helping to get her into bed around 6 p.m. the day before she was found dead. He reportedly stated that he had planned to take his mother to the hospital in the morning.
As the investigation into Sandra Halton’s death continued, detectives discovered that her doctor had not heard from either her or her son since February. Even at that time, her doctor reportedly noted that she was malnourished and anemic, weighing in at 105 pounds. According to the court documents, the doctor said that upon viewing Sandra Halton’s deceased body, it appeared that she showed “significant deterioration” since that February visit.
When Randy Halton was asked why he never brought his mother back to the doctor, he reportedly answered that “they had not called.”
Those who knew the Haltons also reportedly believed that Randy Halton was trying to keep his mother’s death hidden. According to court documents, the ex of a Halton relative told police that Randy Halton had told one family member about Sandra Halton’s death, but instructed them to “keep [their] f—ing mouth shut.”
The relative on the receiving end of that command told police that they “didn’t understand why Randy didn’t call for help, and that he didn’t have to care for Sandra alone.” According to court documents, Randy Halton had been his mother’s caregiver for “several years.”
According to the documents, Randy Halton reportedly said that his mother “seemed fine” while admitting, “I know she looked bad and horrible.”
Formal charges have not yet been filed against Randy Halton.
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