Deerfield woman pleads not guilty in Superior Court to stabbing elderly man

By DOMENIC POLI

Staff Writer

Published: 08-07-2023 3:05 PM

GREENFIELD — The personal care attendant accused of stabbing the 82-year-old husband of a woman she was caring for in Montague had her charges and conditions of release transferred to Franklin County Superior Court on Friday due to the case’s severity. 

Kady J. Flanagan, 29, of Deerfield, appeared before Judge Jane Mulqueen to answer to single counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a person 60 or older, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and assault and battery with serious injury on a disabled person 60 or older.

She was released on personal recognizance and ordered to stay away from the alleged victim and his property as well as report to a probation officer, take prescribed medications and continue seeing a therapist.

Flanagan is now represented by attorney Stephen Shea, while Assistant District Attorney Matthew Russo is prosecuting the case for the state. She had previously pleaded not guilty to the same charges in Greenfield District Court four months ago.

According to a report filed by Montague Police Sgt. John Dempsey, he responded to a Montague City Road residence at around 1:10 p.m. on April 15 for a report of a man in a wheelchair having been stabbed. Dempsey reported he arrived and found Officer Jamal Holland speaking with the man, who was keeping pressure on an abdominal wound.

The man, a retired Turners Falls firefighter, reportedly told Dempsey he was in his kitchen listening to his police scanner when Flanagan, his wife’s caretaker, stabbed him. He mentioned he had a cut on his hand due to attempting to swat away the steak knife Flanagan allegedly used. According to Officer James Ruddock’s report, the wound was ½-inch to ¾-inch in size.

The man told Ruddock he started kicking at Flanagan in self-defense. Ruddock noted the victim is a double-amputee and wears prosthetics from the knees down. The victim told Ruddock he then exited the house in his motorized scooter, rode next door and yelled for help. Two women outside assisted the man and one of them called 911.

According to police, the victim identified Flanagan as the assailant. He was taken to Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield and then to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for treatment.

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Flanagan reportedly walked into the Montague Police Station voluntarily to talk to officers. She told police she was in the victim’s kitchen getting water for his wife when he made sexual advances toward her, at which time she took a steak knife from a nearby table and stabbed the victim. According to the police reports, Flanagan did not tell the victim to go away or that she was uncomfortable with his sexual advances. She was then arrested.

Flanagan is due back in court on Dec. 5 for a pretrial hearing.

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