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Michael A. Gamel (WXIX).
An Ohio man will remain a free despite letting his 80-year-old mother languish on the floor for 10 days after she fell, which led to her death.
Michael A. Gamel, 48, pleaded guilty in November to involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 death of his mother Gayle Gamel, court records show. A judge Tuesday sentenced the younger Gamel to five years probation, Cincinnati Fox affiliate WXIX reported. He also must undergo treatment, though it is unclear what that will entail.
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According to the Colerain Police Department, paramedics responded on Dec. 30, 2021, to call about a possible stroke at the Gamel home in the 3400 block of Poole Road. Emergency responders rushed Gayle Gamel to the Mercy West Hospital in Cincinnati where she died the next morning.
A police investigation revealed that she did not have a stroke, but that she fell out of a chair on Dec. 20, 2021. Her son, who lived with his mother and provided her “basic care,” never bothered to help her or call authorities for 10 days as she lay on the floor “ultimately resulting in her death,” cops said.
The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office ruled the death a homicide by means of elder neglect.
Michael Gamel was indicted by a grand jury in January 2024 for failing to provide for a functionally impaired person and involuntary manslaughter, both felonies.
At the time of his arrest, Michael Gamel seemed surprised as WXIX cameras were rolling when cops showed up to arrest him after he was indicted.
“Wow,” he told the armed officers. “All this for me?”
The failing to provide for an impaired person charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement, records show.
Gayle Gamel’s obituary described her as a beloved mother and devoted grandmother.