42-Pound Disabled Georgia Woman Found Neglected

EATONTON, GA -- A disabled Georgia woman was discovered after years of neglect, weighing 42 pounds and living in squalor, authorities say.

The 23-year-old woman, who has cerebral palsy, was rescued on Monday -- a day before her birthday -- by Eatonton Police officers and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, according to a GBI news release.

Her mother and her mother's boyfriend, who lied about the woman even existing, have been charged with cruelty to a disabled person and other charges, according to the GBI.

The woman was malnourished, covered with urine and feces, had sores on her body and matted hair, the GBI said. The room she was living in was described as squalor. Police said there was "insect activity" on her body.

The victim was transported to Putnam General Hospital and was in stable condition, according to the GBI.

Eatonton Police Chief Kent Lawrence told WSB-TV that it's the worst case of neglect he's ever seen.

"[The victim was] so tiny, in one cradled position so long, she was almost easy to overlook in a room littered with waste, trash, blood,” Lawrence told the station.

Felicia Clements, 40, and Calvin Evans, 25, both of Eatonton, face charges of cruelty to a disabled person. Clements, the victim's mother, also faces a charge of making false statements to investigators and two counts of cruelty to children, involving the main victim's younger siblings.

The GBI said three other children living in the home were taking into the custody of Georgia's Department of Family and Children Services.

Authorities said that when they were called to the Eatonton home Monday, Clements initially told them there was no one who was bedridden living there. The 23-year-old woman's bedroom door was locked and Clements reportedly told investigators that an aunt stayed in the room.

"When I looked at her and told her I had help on the way, she smiled," Lawrence told WSB. He said that his department sent flowers to the victim's hospital room on Tuesday for her birthday.

Eatonton, the county seat of Putnam County, is in north central Georgia, about 75 miles southeast of Atlanta.