Clay County Woman’s DAUGHTER AND SON-IN-LAW ACCUSED of Elder ABUSE AND PROPERTY THEFT
Authorities say a Clay County woman’s daughter and son-in-law threatened to leave her in a nursing facility unless she signed over all of her property and power of attorney to them. She had already filed papers to receive deeds to her land, home, and mineral rights.
William and Kimber Dunkelberg of Wichita Falls were charged in the case and are no longer in Clay County Jail.
The charges of exploitation of an elderly person and making false statements to obtain property were filed after the victim hired an attorney who informed the sheriff’s office about the alleged attempts to take control of the woman’s property in Joy while she was in a care facility in Henrietta.
She stated that her son-in-law arrived to take her home on the day she was scheduled to be freed, but he requested her to sign some paperwork before leaving the center. The documents would have transferred to the pair her home, property, and mineral rights, all worth more than $300,000.
She replied no, and William became enraged, telling her that if she didn’t sign, he would leave her in the center until she did, and she would have to pay her debts from there. Then he left her.
The victim informed detectives that her daughter had filed paperwork on her behalf without her knowledge, deeding her land, home, and mineral rights to Kimber and her husband.
She also stated that she had to postpone mail delivery because the pair stole mineral rights cheques from her mailbox while she was in the nursing home and opened other mail.
She said that they also terminated a leasing deal she had on her mineral rights, therefore she lost this revenue. They had changed the gate locks on her property while refusing to transport her home from the care facility.
According to authorities, medical documents reveal the victim is completely able to manage her affairs, and Adult Protective Services has instructed them to initiate a criminal case against the pair on her behalf.