Greenville woman’s death ruled homicide by neglect

The Solicitor’s Office is reviewing a case to determine whether to pursue charges involving the death of an elderly woman, the Greenville City Police Department said.

Barbara Anne Beam, 82, of Greenville, died in January at her home, the Coroner’s Office said. The manner of death was ruled homicide by neglect.

The primary cause of death was acute pulmonary embolus, which is a blood clot that generally starts in the legs and moves to the lungs, where it blocks blood flow from the heart and causes death, said Dr. James Fulcher, the deputy medical examiner who performed Beam’s autopsy.

Beam, who lived with two adult relatives, was found about 12:30 p.m. Jan. 2 and appeared to have been sitting in a bedroom chair for an unknown period of time, the Coroner’s Office said.

“The decedent had significant ulcerations and wounds — pressure ulcers, essentially — on her legs from prolonged inactivity and prolonged time spent in a chair,” Fulcher said.

Secondary causes of death, he said, were prolonged inactivity and deep venous thrombosis — a clot in the deep veins of the leg that can occur from inactivity or other medical problems.

“The other factors are important because they draw a link between what happened to this lady and the immediate cause of death,” Fulcher said.

The Coroner’s Office ruled the case a homicide in February after consulting with police, Fulcher said. Beam’s death is one of five homicides in the city this year, the Police Department said.

“The events that put (her death) into motion were, in my opinion, a result of her immobility and pressure ulcers on the leg,” Fulcher said.

The autopsy also showed clostridium perfringes sepsis, or an infection in the bloodstream, Fulcher said. “In this case, likely from the wounds to the leg.”