Chandler Man Charged with Murder After Mother Found Dead in Squalor

Coverage spread: 4 sources — 4 unrated

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Where they agree

Allen Page, 64, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and vulnerable adult abuse after his 84-year-old mother, Mary Elenz, died in September 2025.
Police say Elenz was found unresponsive by hospice/nursing staff in extremely poor living conditions at the Chandler home.
Page controlled his mother’s financial and medical affairs and allegedly failed to get her needed medical care despite knowing her health was declining.
The arrest came roughly a year after her death, following an extended police investigation.

Where they differ

FOX 10 Phoenix provides the most graphic detail from court documents — maggots in open sores, fleas, trash, and a nurse’s description of it as “the most horrific thing” they’d seen — while AZFamily and ABC15 describe conditions more generally as “extremely poor.”
FOX 10 alone reports the financial abuse allegations in detail, including that Page spent his mother’s Social Security payments on mobile games and online purchases.
AZFamily and ABC15 report Page faces four additional counts of misconduct involving weapons as a felon in possession of firearms; FOX 10’s detailed report does not mention weapons charges.
FOX 10 includes neighbor reaction and bond details ($1 million cash, next court date Sept. 3), specifics not covered by the other outlets.

A 64-year-old Chandler man, Allen Page, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder after his 84-year-old mother, Mary Elenz, died in September 2025 following weeks of alleged neglect. Police say Elenz was found unresponsive at the family’s home in what investigators described as extremely poor living conditions, and Page — who controlled her medical and financial affairs — is accused of failing to get her the care she needed even as her health visibly declined.

What did investigators find at the home?

According to Chandler police and court documents cited by FOX 10 Phoenix, Elenz was discovered in a room filled with trash, flies and fleas, with a bowl of cat food on her bed. Blankets had reportedly stuck to her skin, and maggots were crawling from open sores on her body. A nurse who responded to the home called it “the most horrific thing” they had ever seen. Elenz was taken to a care facility, where staff continued removing insects from her body before she died the following day.

How did the case come to police attention?

Police say the investigation began after Page himself called nurses to evaluate his mother — this despite reportedly telling relatives for weeks beforehand that she was fine. When questioned, Page allegedly told officers he had checked on his mother and “noticed none of this.” Asked whether he could have done anything differently, he reportedly said he could have called for help sooner. The arrest came nearly a year after Elenz’s death, following what 12 News described as an extensive investigation.

What happened to Elenz’s money?

Court documents allege Page, who held medical power of attorney and had not worked in years, controlled his mother’s finances and spent her roughly $1,500 in monthly Social Security payments on mobile games, fast food and online gift cards rather than on her care.

What charges does Page face, and what happens next?

Page is charged with second-degree murder, vulnerable adult abuse, and — according to AZFamily and ABC15 — four counts of misconduct involving weapons for illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon. He appeared in court on Aug. 28 (Friday), where a judge set bond at $1 million cash. Prosecutors said there may be a witness to Page’s conduct. His next court date is scheduled for Sept. 3. FOX 10 reported neighbors were unaware an elderly woman had even been living at the home; one neighbor said family should come first, no matter the personal cost.

Why this case matters

The case highlights the risks facing elderly people who depend entirely on a single family caregiver, particularly when that caregiver also controls their finances. Adult protective services and elder-abuse advocates have long warned that isolated arrangements like this one — where an adult child has both caregiving duties and financial control with little outside oversight — can allow neglect to go undetected for extended periods, as appears to have happened here over the course of months before Elenz’s death.

Sources

Featured photo: Kevin Dooley from Chandler, AZ, USA via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)