Investigation into assault on 88-year-old woman continues
Published 5:34 pm Monday, July 24, 2017
Investigators with the Carter County Sheriff’s Office are continuing their investigation into an incident where an elderly woman was assaulted in her home on July 14.
“We still don’t have any updates,” Carter County Sheriff Dexter Lunceford told the Elizabethton Star on Monday.
The 88-year-old woman is still receiving treatment at a local hospital for her injuries, Lunceford said.
“I went to see her myself on Friday,” Lunceford said. He said he has remained in contact with the woman’s family to stay updated on her condition.
Investigators have still been unable to interview the woman regarding what happened in her home on July 14. “She’s still unresponsive,” Lunceford said.
Officers have spoken with residents and businesses near the woman’s home in the Hunter community and are following up on information they receive.
“We’ll stay on it until it’s solved,” Lunceford said. “We’ve got every available person we have working on it.”
Lunceford is asking anyone who has any information regarding the incident or who may have seen anything suspicious late on July 13 or early on July 14 in the neighborhood to contact the Sheriff’s Office. Those with information are asked to contact Investigator Penny Garland or Investigator Jeff Markland at the Carter County Sheriff’s Office at 423-542-1846. Tips can also be submitted anonymously online through the Sheriff’s Office website. To submit an online tip, go to www.sheriff.cc, click on contact us, and select “Crime Tip.”
The investigation into the incident began on July 14 after a family member called 911 and reported finding the woman unresponsive in her bed.
The woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries, including severe bruising to her face and jaw area.
CCSO Sgt. David Tranbarger was one of the officers who responded to the woman’s home, and he later went to the hospital to try to speak with her.
“At the hospital (the woman’s) face and jaw were too severely swollen for her to speak, however, she was able to nod yes or no when asked questions,” Tranbarger said.
Tranbarger said he asked the woman if she had been assaulted and she nodded yes. He then asked her if she had been raped and she again nodded yes.