A Glenside man was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in his disabled brother’s death

A Glenside man was convicted of involuntary manslaughter Wednesday in the death of his disabled brother.

Harry Gramlich, 73, was spared the more serious charge he faced — neglect of a care-dependent person — in the verdict by Montgomery County Judge Virgil B. Walker. Gramlich had been the sole caretaker of his youngest brother, Timothy, who prosecutors said “wasted away” in squalor in the filthy, second-floor bedroom of the home they shared.

Timothy Gramlich, 52, who had Down syndrome, weighed just 76 pounds when he died in October 2020 from urosepsis caused by an untreated urinary tract infection.

Prosecutors, led by Assistant District Attorney Gwendolyn Kull, argued during the two-day bench trial that Gramlich provided his brother with the bare minimum amount of care, bringing him food and water while ignoring his worsening health.

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“In this case, I believe the commonwealth proved and the evidence showed that he did know Timothy needed help and he wasn’t getting that help and he was unwell,” Kull said Wednesday. “In the defendant’s own words, he said he was ‘wasting away.’”

The younger Gramlich “shut himself off” after his mother and sister died within a few years of each other in the early 2000s, according to testimony during the trial. He already had difficulty communicating and became practically nonverbal. He never left the home’s second floor, and left his bedroom only to use the bathroom across the hall.

At the time of his death, prosecutors said, he had been sedentary for so long, and he was unable to walk because of deterioration in the muscles and joints in his legs. He was living in filth, including a mattress stained with urine and feces.

Harry Gramlich’s lawyer, David Nenner, said Wednesday that he was “very pleased” with the split verdict. His client, he said, is a good man about whom everyone “assumed the worst.”

“This was a tragedy, there is no doubt about that,” Nenner said. “Harry Gramlich loved his brother, and was the only person over 25 years who took care of him, to the best of his ability.

» READ MORE: From 2021: "Montgomery County man charged with murder and neglect in the death of his disabled brother"

“He did what he could for him,” the lawyer added. “He was negligent, but I don’t think it rose to the level of willful misconduct, and obviously the court agreed, and we appreciate that.”

Gramlich will be sentenced in the next 60 days. Another of his brothers, Joseph, is also awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to neglect of a care-dependent person. Their sister, Elizabeth, was sentenced last year to 10 years of probation after a conviction on that charge.