DES MOINES, Iowa — A judge has sentenced Diana Lynn Becker-Abeyta, a 63-year-old unlicensed caretaker from Ankeny, to up to 30 years in prison for the abuse and death of a man in her care, according to the Polk County Attorney’s Office.
Becker-Abeyta was charged in the 2023 death of Ray Crammond, a 73-year-old man who was found malnourished, filthy, and neglected in his home by first responders on April 29, 2023. He died shortly after.
Authorities said Becker-Abeyta denied Crammond his medications and failed to feed, bathe, or hydrate him. She also stole part of his Social Security benefits, the press release stated.
She pleaded guilty to dependent adult abuse-financial exploitation and entered an Alford plea to involuntary manslaughter, meaning she acknowledged strong evidence of guilt without formally admitting to the offense. Additionally, her status as a habitual offender—with prior felonies in Colorado and Washington—triggered enhanced sentencing.
District Judge Paul Scott described the abuse as “horrific,” stating, “The degradation of the human body to the extent shown in the photos doesn’t happen overnight.”
Becker-Abeyta must also:
Pay $150,000 in restitution to Crammond’s family
Participate in a victim-offender conversation
In court, Becker-Abeyta apologized, saying, “He was a wonderful, wonderful man. He didn’t deserve this. I didn’t do any of this intentionally. I was in over my head.”
During victim impact statements, Crammond’s family described him as a former engineer trained at Iowa State University, a man who loved conversation and music, even after a double lung transplant a decade ago.
Christine Borchardt, his daughter, said, “Some would say abuse and neglect isn’t a violent crime. But my father’s death was violent, brutal, vicious, and savage.”
Officials urge anyone who suspects elder abuse to contact law enforcement or the Iowa Dependent Adult Abuse Hotline at 1-800-362-2178, available 24/7.
