Northport man arrested for murder, neglect of elderly mother

A Northport man is behind bars, charged with murder, neglect and other crimes against his elderly mother.

Exactly one year after Northport officials responded to a medical call for an 87-year-old woman, the woman's son was arrested and charged in connection to her death.

Officers with Northport's police and fire departments went to the home of Ruth Langley Marshall on Sept. 28, 2011 on a medical call. Fire officials found Ruth in "serious medical condition" in her home in the 500 block of Main Avenue, according to Sgt. Tim Sullivan with Northport PD. She was taken to Tuscaloosa DCH by ambulance and police say she died a few days later at the hospital on Oct. 8, 2011.

Police say after Marshall was admitted to the hospital, they began an investigation into the possibility of elder abuse and neglect. Investigators say Ruth Marshall lived with her son Davis Langley Marshall at her home. Davis Marshall, 56, was also his mother's caregiver.

"During the course of the investigation it was determined that Mrs. Marshall was not receiving appropriate physical care from her caregiver and her financial assets misappropriated," Sgt. Sullivan stated in a release.

After Ruth Langley died in October 2011, the Northport Criminal Investigation Division and Tuscaloosa County Homicide unit conducted a length investigation into her death. They presented their findings to a grand jury in Tuscaloosa County and the jury indicted Davis Marshall on the following charges: murder, manslaughter, abuse and neglect of an elder and exploitation of assets.

Northport police arrested Davis Marshall at his home Friday, Sept. 28, 2012 around 2:30 p.m. He has been booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail on a cash bond of $100,000.

Copyright 2012 WBRC. All rights reserved.