‘Hoarder house’ nightmare: Charlotte man sentenced after wife dies trapped in trash.
A Charlotte man was sentenced to at least seven years in prison Friday for leaving his wife of 40 years trapped in trash on the floor of their home for months before she died, prosecutors said.
A Mecklenburg County Superior Court jury found 70-year-old Louis Kornhaber guilty of both counts against him in the death of his wife, 66-year-old Bonnie Kornhaber: second-degree murder and neglect of a disabled or elder adult resulting in serious physical injury.
After the weeklong trial, Judge Matthew Osman sentenced Kornhaber to at least seven years and eight months in prison and no more than 10 years and four months.
Police detectives described Louis and Bonnie Kornhaber’s home as a “hoarder house,” Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather’s office said in a news release.
Horrid conditions found in home
First responders found Bonnie Kornhaber dead on a pile of trash surrounded by spoiled food when they responded to a 911 call from her husband on June 4, 2021, prosecutors said.
The couple lived in a brick ranch home in southeast Charlotte, public records show.
A police investigation revealed that Bonnie Kornhaber returned home on Oct. 6, 2020, after a hospital stay due to a medical condition that left her in a wheelchair. Her husband secured her to the chair with a belt, prosecutors said.
“At some point, she slipped out of the chair onto the floor, where she remained for 6-8 months,” according to the D.A.’s office statement.
Louis Kornhaber told police detectives that he never called 911 for help over the months because the couple was embarrassed by conditions in the home, according to the D.A.’s office.
He finally called on June 4, 2021, he said, after his wife told him she was having trouble breathing. He said he entered the den to watch TV and several hours later called 911 to report that his wife “was unresponsive,” according to the statement.
How to report suspected abuse
If you think someone 18 or older is being abused, neglected or exploited and needs protection, call the Mecklenburg County DSS adult protective services division at 704-336-2273.
This story was originally published March 1, 2025 at 10:44 AM with the headline "‘Hoarder house’ nightmare: Charlotte man sentenced after wife dies trapped in trash.."