Brother pleads guilty

Kim Smith

Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2000 | 9:52 a.m.

An elderly man accused of killing his Alzheimer's stricken brother in May has entered a plea agreement that could result in probation.

Deputy Public Defender Curtis Brown said Ronald Brauch, 73, pleaded guilty Monday to voluntary manslaughter.

Brauch, who will be sentenced Oct. 16, could receive as little as probation or as much as 10 years in prison under the plea agreement, Brown said.

Brauch's 74-year-old brother, Donald, was found dead inside an apartment at 2675 S. Nellis Blvd. on May 16 after Brauch called 911.

During a taped statement to police, Brauch told police that his brother suffered from dementia and other serious health problems that caused him to be nearly bedridden and incontinent.

On the morning of his brother's death, Brauch said he tried to get him out of bed to clean him, but he fell to the floor and was unresponsive. Brauch said he struck his brother "to get his attention."

After bathing and shaving his brother, Brauch told police he tried to carry him back to the bedroom, but he collapsed again.

A coroner who testified at Brauch's preliminary hearing in June testified that Donald Brauch died of blunt force trauma inflicted during an assault. He also said he had bite marks over much of his body.

The Brauch brothers had lived together all but the four years they spent in the military during World War II. They had resided in Las Vegas since 1987.

Brown said the plea agreement is just. No purpose would be served by placing Brauch, who is learning disabled, in prison.

"The killing was unintentional," Brown said. "He is not a threat to society. He should never have been placed in the position he was in."

Although Brauch doesn't remember exactly what happened, Brown said, he believes that Brauch accidentally killed his brother while defending himself or while extremely frustrated.

Donald Brauch, because of his dementia, was extremely combative and often refused to allow his brother to tend to his needs because he did not recognize him, Brown said.

"The same injuries to someone 20 years younger would have just left them bruised and (angry)," Brown said.