FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C. (WNCN) — A former nursing home employee has been charged with murder after an elderly woman died, according to the Fuquay-Varina Police Department.
Police said that on Sept. 24, Cynthia Williams Sellars was involved in an assault while working at the Windsor Point Retirement Community in Fuquay-Varina.
Officers responded to the retirement community after receiving a call indicating that a facility worker was in a verbal altercation with a resident.
Police said Lillie Johnson Cooper, 88, was pushed onto the floor by Sellars. Cooper suffered a serious injury from her fall and was taken to WakeMed hospital in Cary.
According to arrest warrants, Sellers was initially charged with one count of assault on individuals with a disability for pushing Cooper, causing her to fall and break her left hip bone.
Police said Cooper died from her injuries after her fall. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner conducted an investigation. The medical examiner indicated the manner of death was deemed a homicide with the assault being the main cause of death.
After reviewing the information from the Chief Medical Examiner’s report, interviewing witnesses, and consulting with the District Attorney’s office, Sellars was charged with one count of murder.
On Tuesday morning, the Fuquay-Varina Police Department conducted a felony warrant service with the assistance of the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office in Benson.
Sellars was transferred to the Johnston County Detention Center and received no bond. She will appear in Wake County District Court on Wednesday.
To report elder abuse, contact your local Department of Social Services or call the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services CARE-Line toll-free in North Carolina at 800-662-7030. For more information about protecting seniors, click here.
