Man dies from assault injuries, wife charged with murder
A man who was allegedly assaulted by his wife last week died Wednesday from his injuries.
Lexington police were called to the 900 block of Holly Springs Drive on Sept. 28 when a 76-year-old man was reported unconscious and lying on the floor. Leon Hignite was taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, where he died Wednesday from blunt-force injuries, according to the Fayette County coroner’s office.
On the day of the assault, Lexington police went back to the house with a search warrant after they found out that Hignite might have been lying on the floor for days. A fire broke out at the house while police were inside investigating.
The fire was confined to the basement, and there were no injuries, fire Battalion Chief Mark Harvey said. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Lexington police said the man’s wife had been with him at the hospital at the time.
Hignite’s wife, Carol Ann Hignite, 68, was Leon’s caregiver and was charged Sept. 29 with first-degree assault. Police allege that she left him on the floor for days before calling for help.
She remains at the Fayette County jail. Thursday, she was charged with murder in the death of her husband, according to police.
Morgan Eads and Karla Ward contributed to this story.
This story was originally published October 5, 2017 at 8:37 AM with the headline "Man dies from assault injuries, wife charged with murder."