Jessica Meusel (NMPD) and the home where she allegedly kept her mother prisoner (WSMV screenshot)
A 52-year-old woman in Tennessee was arrested this week for allegedly holding her own mother captive and repeatedly beating her inside of their home after the 77-year-old woman put a sign in her window asking passersby to call 911.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Nashville NBC affiliate WSMV-TV, the mother’s gambit paid off.
Julia Meusel was taken into custody on Monday and charged with one count of elderly adult abuse, a felony, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
Officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department on July 3 responded to a residence located in the 1600 block of Carson Meadows Lane in response to a call requesting a welfare check on the home. The caller reportedly told the emergency dispatcher that they were passing the house and saw a sign in the window that read: “HELP 911.”
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders were able to make contact with Meusel’s mother, who reportedly confirmed that she had placed the sign in the window because her daughter — who is her primary caregiver — had locked her in her bedroom for about the last week and had also been physically violent and abusive towards her. Specifically, the mother said that Meusel had twisted her arms, slapped her, and thrown a tray at her, Nashville CBS affiliate WTVF reported.
The officers on the scene reported that the victim had visible bruises on her arms and legs, according to both local stations.
In an interview with WSMV, neighbor Bryan Figler said that he was not even aware that an elderly person was living at the home on Carson Meadow Lane before Monday.
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“Surprising, it’s a quiet neighborhood so don’t really hear a lot going on. I didn’t actually even know there was an elderly person in there — we really don’t see the neighbors in that house too often,” Figler said as he pointed to Meusel’s home.
He also applauded the elderly woman for coming up with a way to free herself from the alleged abuse.
“It’s good on her to do that,” he said. “It’s terrible she had to resort to doing something like that. I hope she gets the help that she needs, gets the resources she needs, and recovers from all of this, it’s terrible. At least she’s in appropriate hands now and can get what she needs.”
Meusel was booked into the Metro Davidson County Detention Facility and released on Tuesday after posting bond of $6,000. She is currently scheduled to appear in court before Judge Ana L. Escobar on July 11.
Court records show that Meusel was also charged with misdemeanor domestic assault resulting in bodily injury in April 2023. Though the circumstances leading to that charge are not clear, the case remains open and her next court appearance is scheduled for July 14.
Records further show that Meusel was previously charged with domestic assault resulting in bodily injury in 2006 and 2022, but both of those cases were dismissed.
The MNPD and Nashville District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to messages from Law&Crime seeking additional details on the elder abuse case and the previous charges brought against Meusel.
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