Thaddeus Moose, a 64-year-old Charleston man, died on April 14, 2025, at Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Hospital after severe neglect at Park Circle Assisted Living Facility in North Charleston. The coroner ruled his death a homicide from septic shock, bronchopneumonia, and dehydration tied to untreated stage 4 bedsores with bone infection.
Neglect Investigation
Suspicious circumstances prompted coroner involvement, revealing facility operators Cynthia Kelly, 58, and Reginald V. Kelly, 60, failed to provide care from June 2024 to April 2025, causing Moose’s death. A March 3, 2026, search warrant uncovered two other vulnerable adults locked in a room without escape.
Charges and Response
The Kellys face one count of abuse/neglect of a vulnerable adult resulting in death (up to 30 years), two neglect counts, and two kidnapping charges (up to 70 more years total). Agencies including public health and social services aided resident removal; Attorney General Alan Wilson praised the collaborative probe by coroner, police, and his Vulnerable Adults unit.
