A North Carolina man has been charged with manslaughter after allegedly leaving a disabled woman to die in a freezing trailer while he stayed in a hotel.
Blair Hamilton Hayes, 61, was arrested on August 12 after a “lengthy investigation” into the death of 47-year-old Emma Jean Teague in Newport this March.
Police said Hayes had “negligently” left Teague alone in a camper van last winter in outdoor temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit, despite knowing she could not care for herself, had no electricity, and had no means of heating the vehicle.
“Teague was medically fragile and also had significant trouble ambulating on her own, in addition to some degree of blindness,” said the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office in a statement on Facebook.
“Detectives found that Hayes did not stay with Teague in the camper during this time. Instead he stayed in a local hotel.”
According to the statement, Hayes called an ambulance on February 20 after visiting the trailer to check on Teague and finding her visibly unwell.
Teague was taken to hospital in critical condition, but could not be saved and died on March 4. Her cause of death was listed as end-stage cirrhosis of the liver, exacerbated by hypothermia.
Police did not specify the relationship between Hayes and Teague, saying only that Hague had also been charged with assault on a female and assault on a disabled person in neighboring Craven County.
