Couple sentenced for neglect, financial exploitation of Derby woman, 84, who died

by Eduardo Castillo

A Derby couple has been sentenced in connection with the mistreatment and financial exploitation of an 84-year-old woman that later died, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.

The couple, 20-year-old Tiffany Williams-McCune and 23-year-old Jacoby Reeves, both of Derby, were convicted in connection with financial abuse and physical neglect of Leslie Jeffries.

Williams-McCune, who is Jeffries’ great-granddaughter, pleaded no contest to two felony counts of mistreatment of an elder person. The first count was for financial exploitation and the second for neglecting the physical needs of the victim, according to the release.

Reeves pleaded guilty to a felony charge of mistreatment of an elder person, related to neglecting the physical needs of Jeffries, and a misdemeanor charge of mistreatment, related to financial exploitation.

A joint investigation by the Derby Police Department and the Kansas Department for Children and Families found that the couple helped care for Jeffries in her home.

On Dec. 7, 2021, Derby police officers conducted a welfare check on Jeffries after other family members expressed concern. Officers found her “unresponsive and lying awkwardly on a couch in the basement of the home,” the DA’s office said. She had suffered a brain hemorrhage and later died at a hospital.

“Williams-McCune and Reeves ignored a medical emergency involving a victim and failed to get her help,” the release said.

The investigation also showed that the couple made unauthorized transactions totaling over $20,000 on Jeffries’ bank accounts while living with her.

An autopsy found that Jeffries had a variety of medical issues with a history of falling, which may have caused the brain hemorrhage that led to her death.

Reeves was sentenced to 12 months of probation last month with an underlying sentence of 12 months of jail time if he violates his probation. Williams-McCune was sentenced to 12 months months in prison in November 2022, but has since been released, DA spokesperson Dan Dillon said.

“Williams-McCune served a majority of her time after her arrest and is now free,” Dillon said.

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Couple sentenced for neglect, financial exploitation of Derby woman, 84, who died