WARREN, Mich., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- The husband of an obese Michigan woman who died days after she was found lying in filth could face a neglect charge, officials said Tuesday.
The 41-year-old woman died Monday at St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital, the Detroit Free Press reported. She was taken there from her apartment in Warren last Wednesday after her husband called for medical help.
Because she died in Macomb County and had been living in Oakland County, officials were also trying to decide where her body should be autopsied, the newspaper said.
The woman reportedly weighed 500 pounds and had been bedridden since injuring her hip last year. Rescue workers, who donned hazmat suits, said she was covered in maggots.
"At some point, this lady should have been getting care that she did not get," Warren Police Commissioner Jere Green said. "There should have been some intervention way before this happened."
She and her husband had 2-year-old twins and two older children aged 11 and 13. The children were reportedly healthy and are now in the care of a relative.
The husband told reporters last week his wife made all decisions about her care. He said he finally called for help against her wishes.
"I love her and it was hard, and it was just me," he said. "And I just did the best I could for so long."
