Louisville man, 92, faces attempted murder charge in nursing home incident

Bert Morris, 92, told a judge on Friday morning that he will die of old age while serving his sentence for the attempted murder of his wife. Morris, who was charged on Oct. 28, appeared in court in Louisville, Kentucky, still in custody on a $150,000 cash bond.

The incident began at Story Point Brownsboro nursing home in the 6700 block of Overlook Drive. Louisville police responded to reports of domestic violence. Officers found Morris pinching his wife's nose after he placed a plastic bag over her face. The arrest citation noted that the bag sealed around her mouth and tightened around her head while Morris held her nose.

Terrence Gabie, the victim's caretaker, was also arrested in connection with the case. Police said Gabie watched the incident unfold and recorded a 71-second video. Instead of stopping Morris or assisting the victim, Gabie showed the footage to a co-worker, who then called police. Gabie faces charges of knowingly abusing or neglecting an adult. He pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance with a $10,000 bond.

During the Friday hearing, Morris' attorney told Judge Kristina Garvey that his client was experiencing a medical emergency. The legal team asked the court to delay the proceeding. Garvey questioned the severity of the issue, noting that Morris had a bloody hand. She ordered sheriff's deputies to bring Morris into the courtroom.

Morris entered the court wearing an orange jumpsuit. He appeared in a wheelchair, which he used as a walker, and stated that he is blind. He also had a Band-Aid on his injured hand. After the hearing, Morris addressed the judge's decision to keep him in custody. He said, “No release, right? Yeah, that’s right. OK. Even at 92, huh?” He then added, “I’ll die of old age.”

Morris is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 16 for a preliminary hearing. Gabie's lawyers requested additional time to review the case files, a request that Judge Garvey granted.