Mom sentenced to 8 years for neglect-related death of her daughter in Charles County

COBB ISLAND, Md. — A Maryland mother will spend eight years behind bars for neglecting her 18-year-old daughter, leading to her death, the Charles County State's Attorney's Office announced. Virginia Marie Stone, 46, was sentenced Wednesday for neglect of a vulnerable adult. A prosecutor called the case one of the worst she had ever seen.

On Sept. 30, 2020, Charles County Sheriff's Office officers responded to the 17400 block of Audrey Road in Cobb Island for a report of a person not breathing. When officers got to the scene, they found the victim, identified as 18-year-old Elizabeth Stone, unresponsive in her bed. Investigators said Elizabeth stone was found emaciated and partially clothed, with feces and maggots on her body. Large sores were found on her lower body, as well. The victim's room appeared unkept and unsanitary. She was pronounced dead by emergency medical services.

An investigation found that Elizabeth Stone suffered from an underlying flesh-eating disease that limited her mobility and required outside medical care, as well as care from her mother. 

Virginia Stone told responding officers that before they got there, Elizabeth Stone said she was not feeling well and requested a glass of milk. When she returned to the room, the 18-year-old had begun breathing heavily, Virginia Stone said. She called 911. 

Investigators said that due to the condition Elizabeth Stone was discovered in, it was determined that Virginia Stone had not given her proper care for years before her death. 

The assistant state’s attorney prosecuting the case requested the maximum penalty of 10 years.

“This was a chronic situation that happened over time and, frankly, must have been torturous.” the prosecuting attorney said. She said that parents are supposed to protect their children, but this case was “horrific, tragic, [and] awful.”