Former nurse on trial for exploiting elderly man

The former personal nurse of an elderly Highland Park man went on trial Monday in Lake County circuit court for using her influence over the man to enrich herself.

The defense attorney for Mary Williams, 70, conceded his client made a great deal of money while working for S. Edward Marder, but said that was exactly what Marder wanted to happen.

Williams, of Reno, Nev., is charged with financial exploitation of an elderly person and criminal neglect of an elderly person, and could receive up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Assistant State's Attorney Christen Bishop said Marder hired Williams in 1992 to care for his ailing wife and kept Williams and other nurses on staff after she died in 2002.

Williams ingratiated herself into the management of Marder's finances and learned confidential details of his approximately $44 million net worth, Bishop said.

Although the exact amount she is believed to have obtained from Marder is uncertain, Bishop said Williams inflated the salary she was paid to $459,000 in 2004.

"Edward Marder's memory was failing, he was on medication and dependent on her for his every need," Bishop said. "At the same time, Mary Williams was isolating him from his family and friends and taking over control of his life."

But defense attorney Thomas Breen of Chicago said Marder, who died in 2007 at the age of 93, referred to Williams as his "daughter" and was more than willing to spend money on her.

Marder liked to travel and stay at the finest hotels, Breen said, and he liked to have Williams and other nurses travel with him as his entourage.

He claimed that Marder had a staff of nurses, gardeners and other employees that Williams managed as the "chief executive officer" of the household.

"People will say that $900,000 a year is an incredible amount of money to run a household," Breen said in his opening statement. "And Ed Marder's response was that it was his money and he could do with it what he wanted."

Police began an investigation in late 2005 after a son of Marder's complained about his father's finances.

Williams and another woman, Nola Susan Ryan of Champaign, were charged in March 2006, but the charges against Ryan were later dropped.

In addition to the financial charge, Williams is also charged with criminal neglect for allegedly giving Marder medication that worsened his memory loss.

The case is being heard by Associate Judge George Bridges and will continue periodically over the next few weeks.