Testimony wraps in trial of former professional guardian accused of elderly abuse

By: Adam Walser

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — On Thursday, the trial continued in the case of former professional guardian Rebecca Fierle, who was accused of contributing to the death of a man under her care.

Testimony wrapped up and both sides rested after the jury heard from more than a dozen total witnesses. Fierle did not take the stand in her own defense.

She is charged with felony, aggravated abuse of an elderly person, and neglect of an elderly person. Fierle was appointed by a judge to be Steven Stryker‘s guardian in 2018 after Stryker was baker acted and ended up in an Orlando hospital.

Investigators said Fierle allegedly ordered his feeding tube to be capped and requested a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order against his wishes while he was a patient at Saint Joseph’s hospital in May 2019. The record showed that he choked to death five days later.  (Click to continue reading)

WFTS
Adam Walser questions Rebecca Fierle after she was removed from more than 100 guardianship cases in 2019.

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Testimony wraps in trial of former professional guardian accused of elderly abuse

CONTACT 13: Another guardian charged with abuse

jason_hansonby  Darcy Spears

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) – Another private guardian was charged with abuse of a vulnerable person on Thursday.

The young victim in the case was the first to come forward and talk with Contact 13 about corruption in the guardianship system.

Jason Hanson’s guardianship case was supposed to end when he became an adult. But Contact 13 discovered the court kept it open for seven years after his 18th birthday. And during that time, several so-called professionals came in and out of his life while the money set aside for his care dwindled away.

Darcy:Did you get lost in the system or do you think it’s more sinister than that?
Jason:I don’t know if I got lost in the system or if it was more underhanded than that. But the system definitely needs to change.” 

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CONTACT 13: Another guardian charged with abuse