GASTONIA, NC - A caregiver allegedly used a Taser on a nonverbal woman with autism and stomped her to death before she tried to die by suicide by crashing the car.
The woman, 59-year-old Marlo Wallace, is accused of first-degree murder in the death of 23-year-old Aaliyah Fortner. The investigation into the incident began on October 26, 2025, when the Gastonia Police Department (GPD) responded to a crash between a semi-truck and Wallace's vehicle, Law & Crime reported.
After she was taken to the hospital, Wallace told officers that they would "find a deceased person" at her residence in the 1800 block of Green Brook Trail. Police went to the home and found Fortner's body. The 23-year-old was entrusted to Wallace's care and lived in the defendant's home.
Wallace allegedly assaulted Fortner on "multiple occasions" by hitting her with objects, pushing her to the ground, using a Taser on her, kicking her and stomping on her head, according to an arrest affidavit.
Wallace was originally charged with concealment of death from unnatural causes, patient abuse and neglect and felony assault of an individual with disabilities.
After receiving autopsy results, prosecutors determined that Wallace murdered Fortner with "malice afterthought." Since Fortner was nonverbal, she was unable to articulate what was happening to her. That's what makes her brother most angry.
"For her to be alone through all of that and then for it to end the way it did, I hate to even think what was going on in her mind," Caleb Simpson said.
Another woman responsible for Fortner's care, Vera Williams, is also charged with patient abuse and neglect and felony assault of an individual with disabilities. "It hurts," Simpson said. "My sister went through all of that alone." Authorities reportedly revoked Wallace's guardianship of another nonverbal adult living at her home some two years before Fortner's placement.
Simpson said his sister never should have been placed with Wallace. "Watch who you trust. Everybody should be angry about something like this," Simpson said. "Let's say you sit there and you trust the state, and then they just fail you like that. Makes no sense."
Wallace remains in jail with her next court date set for June 19.
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