His girlfriend was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. Carpenter is still amazed that he was caught at all. Database editor Ted Mellnik contributed to this article. In North Carolina, state guidelines call for autopsies of anyone in apparent good health who dies unexpectedly from unknown causes. But those same rules say deaths in the elderly should be considered case by case only.
Experts worry deadly abuse and neglect is overlooked.