SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Superior Court has overturned the sentence of a woman convicted of neglecting her 32-year-old care-dependent brother, who had Down syndrome.
The court says a Lackawanna County judge did not adequately explain the six- to 15-year sentence imposed on 37-year-old Joan Gensiak, which exceeded even the aggravated range of the state’s sentencing guidelines.
Gensiak, her 27-year-old sister, Rebekah, and their 61-year-old mother, Susan, pleaded guilty in connection with the March 2013 death of Robert Gensiak, who weighed 69 pounds and was covered in scabies.
Susan Gensiak pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and is serving 10 to 20 years in prison, while Rebekah Gensiak, who testified against her sister and mother, was sentenced to 6 months to 23 months on a misdemeanor neglect count.
A date for Joan Gensiak’s re-sentencing hasn’t been set.
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