PULLMAN, Mich. — A man charged with murdering his grandfather in Allegan County has entered a plea.
Court documents show Cory Nethery pleaded no contest on April 14 to second-degree murder and first-degree vulnerable adult abuse in connection to the death of his grandfather, William Fitzhugh.
William Fitzhugh was found by his son on Oct. 18, 2021, curled up in the fetal position on a bare mattress in a home with mountains of feces in the bathroom, due to lack of working septic. William had been carrying buckets of water to the bathroom to flush the toilet himself for years.
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According to the medical examiner, the death of William Fitzhugh was due to “complications of multiple injuries, malnourishment, and neglect.”
William died on Dec. 12, 2021. His grandchildren, Cory Nethery and Christopher Fitzhugh, were later charged with his murder.
William spoke with FOX 17 before his death on Dec. 12, 2021.
He said Cory and Christopher were at one point “good boys” but a bad drug problem with methamphetamine made them angry and abusive. Family tells FOX 17 William and his wife Eula adopted Christopher and Cory, and that they have lived in the home with their grandparents much of their lives. Things got bad after their drug addiction began roughly five years ago.
William described times when his grandsons would beat him to the ground to take his money. When he wouldn’t give them money, that’s when the abuse got much worse.
William was taken to the hospital by his children on Oct. 18, 2021. His injuries were extensive and horrific, including a broken hip, femur, multiple broken ribs in various stages of healing, a broken nose and a collapsed lung. He was malnourished, and his legs were the size of loved ones’ forearms.
Medical records, given to FOX 17 by family, said he had not been to a doctor for a few years. When renal cancer was discovered during his hospital stay in October 2021, it was too late. Doctors said William's injuries were too extensive to treat his cancer. The family chose to place him in hospice.
For years, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Adult Protective Services division and the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office received reports of abuse at the hands of Cory and Christopher towards William and Eula.
At least four referrals were made to Adult Protective Services dating back to 2017. FOX 17 requested via the Freedom of Information Act all Adult Protective Services reports for William and Eula Fitzhugh.
They each were closed because William said everything was fine, that Cory and Christopher weren’t abusing him, taking his money or neglecting him.
Allegan County Prosecutor Myrene Koch says this is not uncommon, and what makes cases of elder abuse so difficult to pursue.
The last in-person visit by Adult Protective Services to William’s home was May 11, 2021. Another case was opened in June of 2021, but no in-home visit was made, as indicated in the reports given to FOX 17 via FOIA.
That report states William is “low risk” for all categories of elder abuse in the May 11 report.
He would die by homicide just seven months later.
“What they’ve done to me, they need jail time,” William told FOX 17 shortly before his death.
A sentencing hearing for Cory is scheduled to take place on June 12.
Christopher’s case is still working its way through the court system. He has a review hearing in his case is scheduled for May 2.
