Inset: Timothy Green (Center for Disability Rights). Background: The apartment building where Green's mother allegedly starved him to death (Google Maps).
A mother in New York and her boyfriend are accused of killing her developmentally disabled son, allegedly restraining him with handcuffs and home gym equipment inside their apartment before ultimately starving the 33-year-old to death.
Andrea Livers, 58, and Lancysa Harris, 42, were taken into custody and charged with one count each of second-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person in the death of Timothy Green, authorities announced.
The case began Feb. 17, when officers with the Rochester Police Department responded to a 911 call at an apartment on St. Paul Street regarding a report of an unresponsive man.
Upon arriving, first responders found Green naked on the floor with bruising around his wrists and ankles. He weighed about 88 pounds and appeared severely malnourished. Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene, Rochester police Captain Frank Umbrino told reporters during a Thursday news conference.
Livers and Harris had called 911, but investigators said the pair only provided information that "made no sense" and later refused to participate in further interviews.
An initial autopsy did not establish how Green died. Months later, the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a homicide, concluding that Green died from "severe dehydration and failure to thrive in a setting of probable restraint."
Investigators searching the apartment found handcuffs, barbells and other weights, as well as what police described as "an unusual amount of cleaning supplies." They also found no clothing, bedding or other personal items belonging to Green, despite Green purportedly living in the apartment.
Surveillance footage covering the 45 days before Green's death showed no sign of him entering or leaving the residence. Police said the only people seen coming and going were Livers and Harris.
Investigators believe Green died sometime between Jan. 19 and Feb. 17.
The investigation also uncovered evidence concerning Green's government benefits. Harris had become the designated payee for Green's Social Security and SNAP benefits, which he received because of his developmental disabilities. Around that time, Green stopped attending medical appointments and other scheduled activities.
Police said SNAP benefits intended for Green were instead "used by Livers and Harris for their own benefit and not to feed him." Federal authorities are investigating those allegations, meaning Livers and Harris may face additional charges.
Cellphone evidence also supported the medical examiner's finding that Green had likely been restrained. Police allege he was held using handcuffs and home gym weights and was subjected to physical and mental abuse while being deprived of adequate food.
Umbrino described the circumstances during the news conference:
"How Timothy died is beyond disturbing, disgusting, and unfathomable to any normal person," he said. "The evidence we gathered indicates that Timothy was physically restrained, to include with handcuffs and home gym weights. In addition to the physical and mental abuse, there was malnourishment, basically meaning they starved him to death."
Green was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and spent most of his life there with his father and stepmother. Although he could physically care for himself, his developmental disabilities left him dependent on others for more complicated aspects of daily life.
His father had full custody but died in 2023. Green subsequently moved to Rochester to reconnect with Livers, his biological mother. Police said Livers had lost custody of him when he was "very young" because of "abuse-related issues."
Livers and Harris are scheduled to appear in court Sept. 23.