Sallisaw woman charged in death of mother

SALLISAW, Okla. (AP) -- A Sallisaw woman is charged with second-degree murder for the death of her elderly mother, who was found covered with bed sores.<br/><br/>Joanne Holman is accused in the death

Thursday, September 1st 2005, 10:46 am

By: News On 6

SALLISAW, Okla. (AP) -- A Sallisaw woman is charged with second-degree murder for the death of her elderly mother, who was found covered with bed sores.

Joanne Holman is accused in the death of 86-year-old Pearl Burkhart.

Burkhart died August 3rd from complications associated with neglect and abuse. She had been found July 19th by city employees who went to her home to repair a water leak.

The workers entered the home when no one answered the door and found Burkhart unconscious in a chair, covered with bedsores and sitting in her own waste.

District Attorney Richard Gray says Holman told a home health care agency to stop visiting Burkhart about 90 days before the woman was found. Gray says Holman also admitted smoking crystal meth in the days before her mother was discovered.