78-year-old caretaker charged with killing her 98-year-old charge

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division arrested Geraldine H. Shockley this afternoon and charged her with an open count of murder in the death of the woman she had been hired to care for – 94 year old Bessie Borth.

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office was already investigating the 78-year-old Geraldine Shockley after being contacted by a local financial institution about irregularities in the accounts of Bessie Borth.

The BCSO had in turn, contacted the Department of Children and Families Adult Protective Investigators, who assisted with the case. Family members of Borth had been contacted concerning the investigation. Investigators had questioned Shockley, whom they suspected had been taking money from Borth’s accounts.

Today at about 6:15 a.m., a 911 call was made by Geraldine Shockley to BCSO dispatch stating she had just found Bessie Borth dead on the floor of her apartment at 112 Fairway Blvd., Panama City Beach, after apparently falling.

Deputies and numerous CID investigators arrived along with the BCSO Crime Scene Unit. A full death investigation was initiated.

After a review of Shockley’s original account and an inspection of the scene, investigators found several discrepancies in Shockley’s original story.

After further questioning, Shockley revised her account and stated she found Borth on the floor after falling but Borth was still alive so Shockley put a pillow on her face and smothered her.

After evidence was presented which contradicted Shockley’s second account of the incident, Shockley stated she had pushed Borth down the stairs but Borth had survived the fall so she smothered the 94-year-old victim with a pillow.

Shockley, 321 Seabreeze Drive, Panama City Beach, was charged with an open count of murder and exploitation of the elderly, and was taken to the Bay County Jail.