Ga. man with disabilities found dead after caregivers locked him in basement, deputies say

PIKE COUNTY, Ga. — Two people are facing neglect charges after the person they were tasked with taking care of was found dead in their home, according to deputies.

The Pike County Sheriff’s Office says they went to check on an unresponsive man at a home on Whitfield Walk on May 19. When they arrived, they found Dennis Robertson, 40, dead in the home’s basement.

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Investigators learned that Robertson was handicapped and was unable to take care of himself. They say Robertson was primarily kept in one room in the basement where the door locked from the outside to keep Robertson inside.

Deputies who responded to the scene described the inside of the home as “extremely filthy,” “unkempt” and “horrific.”

Robertson’s caretakers, 46-year-old Michael Hammond and 59-year-old Lauri Parker, have now been arrested and charged with neglect of a disabled adult.

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Investigators say they are waiting on the full results of Robertson’s autopsy to determine if any other charges will be filed against Hammond and Parker.

The sheriff’s office says this is one of the worst cases of neglect they have ever seen.

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