Man Steals from his Dead Mother's Morphine Drip



BARNSTABLE, MA - Robert S. Peatie, 37, who police say has a history of drug abuse, was arrested for stealing the morphine from his mother's interveinous drip just moments after she died. A nurse caught the suspect pouring it into a water bottle.
Linda Peatie, 62, had died from an undisclosed illness. Nurse Maureen Beckler had left Peatie in the room alone while she sought out a physician to pronounce the woman dead. Peatie fled when Beckler returned to catch him stealing the morphine.
Police later found Peatie at a nearby restaurant and took him into custody. He apparently admitted to the theft and told police that he had been sipping the morphine from his water bottle. Peatie was jailed on $2,000 dollars bond.
Source: hosted.ap.org