Lydia Price Indicted On 11 Felony Charges After Son Matthew Degner's Death

The mother of 14-year-old Matthew Degner, a mentally disabled boy who died in his Berwyn home amid more than 200 animals, was indicted on 11 felony counts by the Cook County grand jury Friday.

Lydia Price, 47, faces nine counts of abuse and neglect by a caregiver and two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, according to the Chicago Tribune. She is being charged in the death of her son and for endangering the lives of her other three children and the animals in her care.

Police said the conditions in the home where Degner died were horrific, and are believed to have contributed to the bronchopneumonia that caused his death.

“Our animal control officers who have been in some pretty horrific and disgusting environments said this home was easily the worst they’ve been in," sheriff’s spokesman Steve Patterson told the Chicago Sun-Times. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services took custody of Degner's siblings, ages 12, 17 and 18, all of whom reportedly showed flu-like symptoms.

Price's family defended her, and the home's conditions, prior to the indictment. Her mother Barbara called the charges "assaults and falsifications" in late September.

The grand jury indicted Price Friday on 11 felony counts, including one count each of criminal neglect of a disabled child resulting in death, criminal neglect of a disabled child not resulting in death, animal cruelty and companion animal hoarding, according to My Suburban Life. She also faces one count of endangering the life of a child for each of her four surviving children.

Price was initially charged with 2 felony counts of neglect and six misdemeanors, My Suburban Life reports.

Price's new attorney, Steven A. Greenberg, portrayed the case as overblown, saying his client is not a bad parent, "just overwhelmed."

“Frankly, if we prosecute someone every time their kid gets sick, we're going to have a lot of cases,” he told My Suburban life.

Price remains free on bond after relatives posted 10 percent of the $100,000 bail set by Cook County Judge Pamela Leeming, the Tribune reports. Her arraignment is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Halloween, Oct. 31.

Meanwhile, the City of Berwyn is seeking to demolish Price's Lombard Ave. home.

Comments

[Pinky212]

12:09 AM on 12/01/2011

Her mother defends her? Apparently her mother doesn't know how to provide a healthy home, either, or perhaps, she hadn't actually visited her grandchildren in years!

[dbrett480]

06:36 PM on 10/16/2011

"Price's new attorney, Steven A. Greenberg, portrayed the case as overblown, saying his client is not a bad parent, "just overwhelmed.""

I can never understand how criminal defense attorneys can live with themselves.

[AntonioSaucedo]

07:42 PM on 10/09/2011

Hoaring is an illness not a crime.

I mean, hoarding.

[Pinky212]

12:14 AM on 12/01/2011

You are SOOOO wrong! The effects from hoarding can be a crime. However, the effects wouldn't be there if the hoarding had NOT taken place. Certainly hoarding can be a symptom of a mental illness but mental illness can NOT be used as an excuse unless someone is insane. The majority of hoarders KNOW that what they are doing is NOT normal. However, they CHOOSE not to get help for themselves. We are ALL responsible for the choices we make, including those with mental illnesses.

[Dana911]

11:12 AM on 10/09/2011

These neighbors should be ashamed of themselves. So many of them have talked to the news about how the kids never went to school, were unclean and malnourished. They never took the time to call DCFS or the Police, yet they've made the time to grin in front of the camera. Appalling and Despicable. If one of these people had called, that boy might be alive today. Apathy reigns...unless you can get 15 minutes of fame.

[mphalen]

01:19 PM on 10/08/2011

She is mentally ill. It should have never come to this. We need to rethink how we treat the mentally ill and acknowledge that our mental health system in this country is abysmal.

[hursh 4 ever]

04:22 PM on 10/08/2011

its because of animal activists that put animal rights before human rights.

[agness nutter]

10:24 AM on 10/09/2011

It's because mental illness is not given the consideration it should be - it isn't restricted to animal hoarding cases. Take a look at the "stupid criminals" piece on this site - mental illness abounds and it's treated like entertainment for the masses.

[jmk6653]

10:49 AM on 10/09/2011

I doubt animal activists would want one individual to have 200 animals - also the punishment for abusing a pet is a tap on the hand - if animal activists had the power as you state - people like this individual could receive treatment and some sort of punishment that would discourage this behavior in the future - this women will receive care/punishment because her son died based on these conditions - but if it was just animals - then she would be set free to do the same thing again

[fhmjam]

09:40 PM on 10/07/2011

PETA!!!! Here's your chance to leave the Darth Vader side, see the light and condemn animal loving (?) nuts like this. Oh, yea; it's just corporations that produce medicine and food you don't like.

[Romevicki]

07:39 PM on 10/07/2011

they should charge her with murder......

[dutchie847]

10:23 PM on 10/07/2011

right?! crazy

[agness nutter]

10:23 AM on 10/09/2011

Animal hoarding is a mental illness. People who do it are deluded and actually think they are helping the animals. They are not rational.

[Pinky212]

12:17 AM on 12/01/2011

The majority of animal hoarders KNOW their behavior is NOT normal. However, they CHOOSE not to get help. We are ALL responsible for our choices, even those with mental illnesses.

[kisaten39]

06:23 PM on 10/07/2011

wow this is awful! how could she live like that!