Patricia Wofford, 60, admitted to tying up her adult son Kevin inside their North Omaha home

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UPDATED: 6:07 pm CDT October 23, 2009

OMAHA, Neb. -- The children of a mother accused of tying up her mentally disabled son said they would have stepped in if they knew their mother needed help.

Patricia Wofford, 60, is charged with abuse of a vulnerable adult. She was granted a pre-trial release Friday.

Prosecutors said police found her son, 40-year-old Kevin Wofford, standing in her driveway near 18th and Miami streets with a broken rope tied to a chain that was padlocked around his leg.

They also said investigators found another part of the broken rope tied around a door knob.

Patricia Wofford restrained her son because it was difficult to find someone to watch him while she worked, prosecutors said.

"We love her. We love her. That's all we're going to say," said Wofford's other two children, Tiffny and Anthony Gill.

However, the siblings provided conflicting perspectives on their mother's treatment of Kevin Wofford.

Said the son, "It just got blown out of proportion, it's totally out of proportion."

He said he can't believe his mother would tie up his brother, though he also can't explain the broken rope around his brother's leg.

Tiffny Gill, though, said she felt her mother was embarrassed by Kevin Wofford.

"She never wanted him around family or nothing like that," she said. "I'm glad somebody in that neighborhood was watching out."

Kevin Wofford is in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services. Patricia Wofford has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 20.

She faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

If she did not want this son or could not care for him she could have put him in a home for care.
:evil:
Caring for a disabled adult child the state (most states) gives between 400 to 500 a month to help care for them. She did not want to give up the money by putting her son in a home for the disabled.

lindamarie this story made me sad. Then to understand that the siblings of this disabled person may have been aware of what was happening to him. I'm not saying that they should have gotten in the mother's face or turned her in to LE, but they could have shared the responsibilities of caring for him and helped to lighten the load their mother was obviously feeling.

BUMP?

Police Officers in Omaha Nebraska were shocked to see a 40 year old man standing in a driveway near 19th Streetand Miami last Wednesday. The man claimed he had been chained in his house by his mother.
The police report said the officer spoke with the man and determined his 60-year-old mother, Patricia Wofford, had locked him inside the house.



Wofford is scheduled to make her first court appearance Friday morning. The accusations come as a shock to neighbors, one of whom said she didn’t even know Wofford had a son. One of her neighbors, Pearl Blount as quoted as saying, ""Ever since I've known her, I never known that she had any kids that age," Wofford reportedly tells police the reason she tied her son up was to go to work, because she had no one to watch him. If convicted Wofford could spend up to five years in prison. She'll be back in court in November. In the meantime, she has been released from jail

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Mom Reportedly Admits to Chaining Her Son to a Door

Omaha, NE - A mother arrested for tying and chaining her son inside their home reportedly admits to the abuse. Patricia Wofford appeared in court this morning on charges of abuse. After the hearing, the judge released her.

Hiding behind her purse, Patricia Wofford walks out of jail saying nothing in response to the disturbing abuse allegations regarding her mentally challenged son. "Patricia, why did you chain your son up? Leave my sister alone."

While Wofford wouldn't talk to me, she reportedly had plenty to say to police. They say she admitted to tying up her adult son Kevin inside their North Omaha home. According to police someone drove by and saw Kevin just as he escapes. Prosecutors drop a bombshell this morning telling the judge the 40-year-old is found outside his mother's home with a rope and chain around his ankle and the other end of the rope tied to a doorknob inside the home.

Even after hearing this in court, Wofford's family walks out defending her. "It's blown out of proportion, it's blown totally out of proportion." Anthony Gill insists his mom would never hurt any of her kids. Yesterday, we discovered Wofford actually works at an Omaha school in the office. Gill says even the students adore her. "She loves kids, kids love her, Contestoga, that's her school, they love her down there." Interestingly enough, Wofford reportedly tells police the reason she tied her son up was to go to work, because she had no one to watch him.

If convicted Wofford could spend up to five years in prison. She'll be back in court in November. In the meantime, she has been released from jail.

Reported by Molli Graham, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I have searched and searched for an update on this case and can find nothing. What do they do in Nebraska..just sweep everything under the fields of corn??

Sorry if anyone here is from Nebraska. But damn it..I think many of us would like to know what the outcome of this case was.

I've been looking, too. I did find a picture of the mother abuser.

She remains on unpaid leave from her office job at an Omaha elementary school. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 20. If convicted, Wofford faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

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Trying to find something on that Nov hearing.

Now Wofford may be in the hot seat again. Hours after she left the jail Friday afternoon, prosecutors accused her of neglecting two other children. Court documents discovered by Action 3 News reveal Wofford is the legal parent of an 8 year old girl and 15 year old boy. The boy is in juvenile detention. Prosecutors believe the girl still lives with Wofford at her home near 18th and Miami.

Police arrived at Wofford's home late Friday afternoon with a court order to remove the little girl, calling it a matter of immediate, urgent necessity to protect her. Neighbors saw police at the house and say Wofford and the girl were not there.

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