A Cape Cod man is facing serious charges following a grand jury indictment related to the death of his mother in 2024. As per a statement from Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois, 23-year-old Thomas Hayes of Sandwich is alleged to have pushed his mother, causing her to fall and sustain a life-threatening head injury, as well as a broken neck. The incident occurred on July 24, 2024, and the indictment includes charges of manslaughter and assault and battery on a person 60 or older causing serious bodily injury, according to a report by NBC Boston.
Hayes, who was already on probation at the time of the event, is said to have pushed his 71-year-old mother in a home in Sandwich, Massachusetts. She was found unconscious and bleeding, which led her to be transported to Cape Cod Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries on July 30, 2024. The DA's office has not released the name of the deceased woman. Galibois stated that Hayes told investigators "that he had pushed the 71-year-old unconscious female, and that she had fallen to the floor," as documented in a press release delivered by the district attorney's office on NBC Boston.
The arraignment for Hayes will be set at the Barnstable Superior Court, with the exact date yet to be announced. Following the incident, Hayes served a year at the Barnstable House of Correction for violating his probation. Details about legal representation for Hayes were not immediately available. The investigation into this case was conducted by the Sandwich Police and the State Police Detectives Unit assigned to Galibois' office, a Boston 25 News article noted.
In a separate but equally disturbing incident, a Martha's Vineyard woman was also charged with manslaughter following the death of a toddler who was left unattended in a vehicle for hours. Aimee Cotton, 41, of Oak Bluffs was arraigned on the manslaughter charge pertaining to this case.
