Ronald Salyer: Man with dementia dies days after allegedly strangling wife to death with towel
PENN YAN, NEWYORK: 89-year-old Ronald Salyer, who was suffering from dementia, tragically caused the death of his wife of 70 years, Jane Salyer, in upstate New York.
Authorities reported that Jane was found dead on the bathroom floor of their home, her neck wrapped in a bath towel. The distressing incident prompted the Penn Yan Police Department's intervention.
Discovery of disturbing scene
The harrowing discovery occurred on August 29 when a home health aide, attending to the Salyers, came across the lifeless body of Jane. The bath towel was tightly tied around her neck, according to Lawandcrime.com.
Ronald Salyer, her husband, was also found on the bathroom floor, alive but in a deteriorating state of health. Shockingly, the couple had remained in this distressing condition for at least two days, as per the police chief's statement to Rochester NBC affiliate WHEC.
"It's a tough situation," said Chief Thomas Dunham from the Penn Yan Police Department. "It's really a case-by-case basis, really making sure people have the care they need. In this particular situation, I don't think the family did anything wrong. I think it was a freak incident that was really unfortunate."
Following the discovery, Ronald Salyer was swiftly taken to the hospital and placed into palliative care. He died on September 1.
Detectives were unable to interview Ronald due to his continuous unconsciousness. His deteriorating mental state, attributed to dementia, was believed to have played a significant role in the tragic event.
Before her death, Jane Salyer had been in good health, and there had been no prior history of domestic violence or criminal records involving the couple, as confirmed by law enforcement officials.
Support from Penn Yan police department
The Penn Yan Police Department conveyed their condolences to the grieving Salyer family during this challenging period.
“Police are continuing to investigate the matter but have no other persons of interest at this time. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Salyer family in this trying time,” the press release said.
Jessica Paquette, a neighbor and Jane Salyer's hairstylist, was present at the time of the discovery. She recounted how they had attempted to check on Jane when she missed a hair appointment.
Their initial attempts to enter through the front door were unsuccessful, prompting them to try the back door, which was found open. The sight that met their eyes was nothing short of shocking.
“Very shocked. And I just wanted to get out of there because I knew she was gone,” Paquette said. “There was a lot of chaos in the house. Chairs flipped over, blankets on the floor. The house was in a little bit of disarray, so I knew that it wasn’t right.”
The unsettling condition of the house left little doubt that something profoundly wrong had transpired. Jane Salyer was a beloved member of the community located approximately 50 miles northwest of Ithaca.
Jane and Ronald Salyer's love story had spanned nearly seven decades, after exchanging their vows on December 23, 1952, in Burdett, New York, as stated in Jane's obituary.
“That’s not the way she should’ve died. She was a lovely lady, and I know that they had many beautiful years together. And if he was in his right mind, he would not have done that,” Paquette told WHEC.