Coroner: 85-year-old vet buried in yard died of malnutrition

ERIE, Pa. – A coroner says an 85-year-old veteran found buried in a shallow grave behind a Pennsylvania apartment complex died of malnutrition and bed sores.

The Erie County Coroner’s Office on Thursday ruled the July death Vincent Force as a homicide. Two people who had been caring for him have been charged.

Authorities found Force’s body July 14, a day after he was reported missing.

Investigators tell the Times-News that Elizabeth Taylor and Antonio McLaurin admitted to wrapping the Korean War veteran’s body in plastic and burying him in June.

Twenty-eight-year-old Taylor and 33-year-old McLaurin are charged with neglect of care-dependent person, aggravated assault, corpse abuse, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and tampering with evidence.

They could face new charges over the homicide ruling.

Messages seeking comment from their attorneys weren’t returned Thursday.

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Information from: Erie Times-News, http://www.goerie.com