External probe set into death in Liberty

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

Officials hope to have the investigation started as soon as possible.

LIBERTY — The death of an elderly woman this week will lead to an independent investigation into how police handled calls from a concerned resident before the woman died.

A couple on Mansell Drive found Mary Rush, 87, lying on her front porch at 7 a.m. Monday. The elderly woman, and a good portion of the porch, were covered in blood, and a rock was found near a broken window.

Police believe Rush, who they say suffered from a form of dementia, locked herself out of her home and then cut herself on the window trying to gain entry to the house. Police said she died of hypothermia.

The same couple who found Rush that morning also made two calls to police because they heard someone crying out for help. Officers responded to both calls but did not search the area on foot.

Township officials met with the township’s attorney Thursday to discuss the death and police actions leading up to Rush’s being found.

Administrator Pat Ungaro said the response by township officers to those early morning calls will be the subject of an external investigation. He said that he is not sure who will conduct the investigation but that it will be a police agency independent of the township.

“I feel strongly that we have to do something,” Ungaro said. “It will be a competent independent investigation. Someone died here; this is not an everyday occurrence.”

Police Chief Anthony Slifka said the department is not taking lightly the death of Rush, or the events leading up to her being found.

Slifka said Rush’s death has touched him personally, and he welcomes the investigation from an outside agency. He said the investigation will likely show that officers responded to the call in a timely fashion but failed to conduct a foot search — something he finds regrettable.

“My mom was 89 and also died of dementia. I was highly upset that we didn’t find Mrs. Rush. I wish we had found her. I wish the officers had gotten out of the car and searched,” he said. “The officers who went to the call, if they thought someone was in danger, would have crawled on their hands and knees through mud to find them.”

Ungaro said the investigation, which he hopes to get under way by next week, will be about weeding out any mistakes in the response as to not repeat those mistakes in the future.

“We know mistakes were made, and we need to see what we can do so that it doesn’t happen again,” Ungaro said.

Township officials also hope to incorporate a new program for seniors as added insurance that their needs are met in any future emergency.

Under the program, seniors living in the community would be grouped according to geographical locations with an officer assigned to each group. Each month the officer would make regular visits to check the welfare of those in his or her section.

Police department representatives have said the program is a good idea.