The son of Brooke Astor, Anthony Marshall, has been convicted of bilking his mother out of millions of dollars. Brooke Astor, a well-known philanthropist and member of New York high society, died in 2007 at the age of 105. Her son was accused of tricking her into changing her will, diverting money to himself and his wife Charlene, rather than to the charities she had intended to benefit. Astor, who sufffered from Alzheimer’s, had an estate was worth a reported $200 million and had given millions to institutions such as the New York Public Library, Carnegie Hall and other causes.
Following 12 days of deliberations after a 19-week trial, Marshall, 85, was convicted on 14 counts of the 16 counts against him, including the most serious count of first-degree grand larceny. Famous figures such as Henry Kissinger and Barbara Walters were called as witnesses, as well as Marshall’s son Philip. Philip sued his father in 2006, seeking to get guardianship of Brooke Astor by claiming that his father was neglecting the matriarch. The scandalous case has brought national attention to the widespread nature of elder abuse.
Tags: alzheimers, Anthony Marshall, Brooke Astor, elderly abuse, Fraud
