HUMBOLDT, Iowa — A Humboldt woman has been sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to neglecting two dependent adults under her care, according to an Oct. 8 statement from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
52-year-old Libby Palmer, of Humboldt, pleaded guilty to one count of reckless dependent adult abuse by a caretaker resulting in serious injury, a Class D felony, and one count of caretaker intentionally and knowingly committing dependent adult abuse, a serious misdemeanor.
Authorities said the case began on May 2, when ambulance personnel from Humboldt County Memorial Hospital responded to Palmer’s home and grew concerned about the unsafe living conditions and the well-being of two dependent adults residing there.
According to court records, responders found one adult male “unable to care for himself” with a severely infected open wound, and another adult exhibiting “extremely neglected dental hygiene.”
Investigators later determined both adults suffer from Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic disorder that is a leading cause of inherited intellectual disability, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The court ordered Palmer to pay $8,953.84 in victim damages, representing the financial harm caused by her neglect. In addition, a no-contact order protecting the dependent adults was extended for five years.
While the court documents did not specify Palmer’s relationship to the victims, both share her last name. A letter submitted as evidence in court read, “I hope she [Palmer] can have her boys back.”
