A North Carolina man has been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison after allowing his disabled wife of 40 years to lay helpless on the floor for months—unable to move, surrounded by trash, and suffering from horrific wounds—until she finally died.
Louis Kornhaber, 70, was convicted of second-degree murder and neglect of a disabled adult in the slow and agonizing death of his wife, Bonnie Kornhaber, 66.
A Love That Turned to Neglect
For decades, Louis and Bonnie were partners in life, but in her later years, Bonnie, who used a wheelchair, became fully dependent on her husband for care.
That trust was horribly broken.
In October 2020, Bonnie was discharged from the hospital. Louis secured her to her wheelchair with a belt, but at some point, she fell to the floor and never got up again.
Rather than calling for help, helping her back into her chair, or taking her to a doctor, Louis left her there—for what prosecutors estimate was six to eight months.
A Home Turned Into a Prison
Their home in Charlotte, North Carolina, was described as a “hoarder house”, filled with trash, rotting food, and filth. But Louis wasn’t just letting the house fall apart—he was letting his wife waste away inside it.
Prosecutors revealed that Bonnie developed severe bedsores, skin infections, and open wounds that attracted insects.
Still, Louis never called 911.
When Bonnie began struggling to breathe on June 4, 2021, he didn’t rush to her side. Instead, he went into another room to watch television. Hours later, when he finally checked on her, she was unresponsive.
Only then did he call for help. By the time paramedics arrived, Bonnie was already dead.
“He Chose to Let Her Die”
Prosecutors didn’t believe this was simply a case of an overwhelmed caregiver. They argued that Louis made a choice—to ignore her suffering, to let her rot, to not act even when she was dying right in front of him.
At his trial, he showed little emotion, insisting that he never meant to hurt her.
But the judge didn’t buy it.
“You had every opportunity to help her,” the judge told him. “And you let her suffer instead.”
After a four-day trial, a jury convicted him of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 7 years and 10 months to 10 years and 5 months in prison.
Bonnie Deserved Better
Bonnie was a mother, a friend, and a woman who deserved dignity and care.
Instead, she died alone, on a dirty floor, abandoned by the person who was supposed to love her the most.
Her tragic death is a reminder of the silent suffering many disabled and elderly individuals endure—and how neglect can be just as deadly as violence.