INDIANAPOLIS — Court records show a dispute over house cleaning led to the death of a 72-year-old man in Indianapolis.
Details of the criminal case were unsealed this week, but the investigation began last year.
Police were called to a home on East Michigan Street for a domestic dispute last October. According to the affidavit, 72-year-old Richard Applegate had been vacuuming without a filter, spreading dust into his roommate’s room which led to a fatal argument.
Court records claim that’s the story Alyson Humphrey told police following Applegate’s death. The 57-year-old is now charged with involuntary manslaughter.
“There’s all the difference in the world between murder and involuntary manslaughter. Murder is an intentional killing. Involuntary manslaughter is a killing where you didn’t intend to kill the victim. It just happened,” said attorney Jack Crawford.
Attorney Crawford isn’t connected to the case but said because prosecutors are not claiming Humphrey meant to kill the victim, the court case carries a significantly different range of punishment.
“Murder is 45 to 65 years in prison. Involuntary manslaughter is two to six years. So once again, it’s a world of difference,” said Crawford.
Police claim the victim was alert and talking when they showed up at the home last year. Applegate complained of muffled hearing and only later went to the hospital where he died from a head injury.
Humphrey insisted she pushed the victim and he fell, accidentally hitting his head on a handrail or the ground.
Because the victim died in 2021, the case has been added to last year‘s homicide total. That increases last year‘s record-breaking homicide number from 271 to 272.
Humphrey was arrested in Kokomo but is being held on a $25,000 bond at the Marion County jail. She’s due in court for an initial hearing on Wednesday.
