A Clay County woman’s daughter and son-in-law allegedly threatened to leave her in a nursing home until she signed over all her property and power of attorney to them, and earlier had filed paperwork to obtain deeds to her land, home and mineral rights, according to authorities.
William and Kimber Dunkelberg, of Wichita Falls, were charged with exploitation of an elderly person and making false statements to obtain property after the victim obtained an attorney who notified the sheriff’s office of the alleged attempts to obtain control of the woman’s property in the city of Joy while she was in a care center in Henrietta.
Son Allegedly Threatened the Victim on the Day She was to Be Released from Nursing Home
She said her son-in-law came to take her home on the day she was to be released but asked her to sign some documents before leaving the center. The documents would have relinquished her home, property, and mineral rights, which were worth more than $300,000, to the couple.
She said she declined, and William became angry and said that if she did not sign, he would leave her in the center until she did, and she would have to pay her bills from the center. Then he left her.
Couple Also Accused of Stealing Checks from Victim’s Mailbox
The victim told investigators she learned that her daughter filed paperwork on her behalf earlier without her knowledge that deeded her land, home and mineral rights to Kimber and her husband.
She also said she had to put a hold on mail delivery because while she was in the nursing home, the couple had stolen mineral rights checks from her mailbox and opened other mail.
Mineral rights cheques are given to owners as a monthly royalty if oil, gas, or any other substances of value are extracted from below the surface of their property and either sold or used by an oil and gas operating company
She said they also dissolved a lease agreement she had on her mineral rights, so she also lost this income. They had changed the gate locks on her property while refusing to take her home from the care center.
Authorities say medical records show the victim is fully competent to manage her affairs and that Adult Protective Services advised they are opening a case of criminal activity against the couple on the victim’s behalf.
