A Massachusetts man reportedly killed his elderly roommate on Thanksgiving Day because he “sneezed frequently” and came “too close” to the holiday.
Frank Griswold, 80, was about to enter the kitchen to wash dishes on Thursday when his roommate, Richard Lombardi, 65, threw him to the ground, fatally injuring him, the Plymouth County district attorney said. The Bureau claimed. According to court documents obtained by WCVB..
Lombardi, 65, and Griswold got into an argument earlier in the day over an older roommate standing near food that was being prepared, the newspaper reported.
In an interview with police, Lombardi said Griswold “sneezes a lot” but didn't want to “contaminate the food.”
Leftovers were cooling near the sink in his Marshfield home when the 80-year-old man went into the kitchen to wash dishes.
WCVB reported that Lombardi told police that when he returned to the kitchen, Griswold was “too close” to the food and pushed him. “Frank Griswold's legs got tangled and he fell and landed on the floor. I guessed that he had hit his head,” he said.
Lombardi called 911 because the elderly man wouldn't get up.
Griswold was found unconscious by first responders “lying face down on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood,” prosecutors said in court, according to the newspaper.
The two roommates had been friends for 30 years and had lived together for more than 20 years, the newspaper added.
Lombardi is charged with assault and battery on a person over 60, causing serious injury, and manslaughter. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in court again on December 4.
