Son charged in mother's neglect death

Jonathan Chad Simmons is being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail on a $30,000 bond after prosecutors charged him with killing his mother. The indictment lists one count of manslaughter and one count of second-degree elder abuse. These charges stem from the May 16 discovery of Brenda Hallman Simmons, who was 76 at the time.

Deputies responded to a home in the 13000 block of Alabama Highway 216 where they found the woman alive but unresponsive. She died several days later in a hospital. The autopsy determined that sepsis, caused by complications from multiple open bedsores, was the cause of death. Medical staff noted that Simmons had not been bathed and had feces and insects in her hair.

The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit and the state medical examiner’s office launched a joint investigation after family members and health personnel suspected neglect. Investigators executed a search warrant at the residence shared by Simmons and her adult son. They described the living space as excessively dirty and unsanitary. The investigation focused on the period Simmons claimed to be her primary caretaker.

Simmons told investigators he was aware of his mother’s medical issues, including the open wounds and bedsores. Jack Kennedy, a detective with the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, stated that Simmons admitted to not taking her to a doctor for over a year. The indictment alleges that his reckless actions caused serious physical injury to the elderly victim.

The court documents refer to the victim as Brenda Hallman Simmons. The legal charges assert that Simmons abused and neglected her, leading to her death. The bond amount has been set while the case proceeds through the county court system. No trial date has been announced in the available records.