PROVIDENCE -- The legal battle between two sisters over who should be in charge of their mother's affairs now that she is incompetent to care for herself is officially over. Francine Ardito, of Reston, Va., has repaid the $16,000 she owed her 91-year-old mother, Laurette Borduas Eifrig, to purge herself of contempt.
Follow the developments in this case
PDF: Read Judge Gibney's order
10.12.07: Feud among sisters escalates over use
of mother's money
9.14.07: Daughter took $300,000 from mother’s trust
8.11.07: Daughters' feud to cost mother $186,000 in fees
8.08.07: Daughter seeks settlement in guardian case
7.17.07: Daughter faces contempt hearing in guardian case
6.27.07: Mother, 90, at center of dispute between sisters granted her wish
6.26.07: Contempt hearing set in dispute on guardian
6.23.07: Gibney's decision: Neither daughter is fit to be guardian
PDF: Read Judge Gibney's decision denying both daughters guardianship
PDF: Read the letter in which Francine Ardito discharges her lawyer
PDF: Read a transcript of Laurette Borduas Eifrig's testimony
PDF: Read Judge Gibney's order discontinuing Suzette Gebhard's visitations with her mother
Audio: Hear Judge Jeanne E. LaFazia's decision, 15 min. 24 sec.
4.21.07: Family face-off hits courtroom
4.8.07: Judge rules daughter may not visit mother
4.6.07: Judge denies daughter's request to take Eifrig out for Easter
PDF: Read Justice Gibney's order governing the terms under which Eifrig's daughters can visit her
Chat with an expert about dementia-related issues
Journal staff writer Tracy Breton
Tracy Breton is a recipient of a Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship for 2006-07.
Contact information
Breton is writing an intermittent series of stories about elder abuse, exploitation and self-neglect in Rhode Island. If you or someone you know has a story to share, e-mail tbreton@projo.com or call
(401) 277-7362.
More stories
Study of elder abuse of R.I. women reveals surprising discoveries
Few doctors report abuse of elderly patients
Abused elderly in R.I. more likely to get help 24/7 than their peers across the country
Number of calls to RI hot line increases every month
No jail time for man accused of bilking neighbor
Mother of 3 sent to prison in bleach attack on elderly aunt
Elderly aunt gets justice; niece faces jail for attack
A trust betrayed
Dr. Elisabeth Shanks, 95, of Riverdale, N.Y., had started to forget things when she met Patricia Murtaugh. Shanks initially enjoyed Murtaugh's help.
UPDATE: 3.24.07: Parole denied in elderly theft case
UPDATE: 7.18.08 B.I. shop owner who stole life savings from two women is paroled
Read a letter to the parole board written by Dr. Shanks' son
Read the decision of the parole board
Ex-students aid teacher, now 90
Letters to Judge White from former students, colleagues
PDF: From Laura Matson Hahn, of New Hope, Penn.
PDF: Another letter from Laura Matson Hahn, of New Hope, Penn.
On her own
Beatrice Demers, 99, of South Kingstown, planned for her future. But her twilight years were anything but blissful. Read the story
Transcript, 01.25.06: Chat with lawyer Nancy Fisher Chudacoff
Transcript, 01.24.06: Chat with geriatric social worker Susan Graefe of Warwick
Transcript, 01.23.06: Chat with Cumberland police Sgt. Michael Kinch
