Authorities who arrived at the house in Bellaire reported seeing the man sitting amidst his own urine and feces, which were infested with maggots. The man's skin had become attached to the recliner's cloth, said law enforcement officers, one of whom had to dispose of his uniform after responding to the home. In order to transport the man to the hospital, officers had to carve out a portion of the wall.
Identified as 43-year-old Richard Hughes, the man died after being taken to Wheeling Hospital in West Virginia. The residence's landlord said Hughes, weighing 348 pounds (157 kilograms), began sitting in the chair after his knees started to hurt, and refused to get up. Hughes' girlfriend told police that she fed him because he was unable to move around.
Jim Chase, a city official, called the room where the man stayed "very filthy, very deplorable" and said it was "unbelievable that somebody live[d] in conditions like that."
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