Uploaded April 2010 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
The brother of Laura Cummings told News 4 his sister endured years of unspeakable abuse. That is, until two weeks ago, when authorities discovered her body in the family apartment and charged their mother with murder.
Airman First Class Richard Cummings is angry. Angry that he tried his best to save his sister from their mother's abuse, but authorities didn't seem to take his concerns seriously.
"I just really wish that someone would have actually stepped up and seen what was going on," said Richard.
On January 21, authorities found the body of 23-year-old Laura Cummings in the family's first floor apartment and last Saturday, their mother, was charged with second degree murder. Their brother, 31-year-old Luke Wright, was charged with assault.
Investigators accused the brother of pouring boiling water on Laura Cummings, as she was beaten and suffocated.
Capt. Ronald Kenyon, Erie County Sheriff Investigator, said, "All the detectives involved, myself included, I start 30 years next year, and we have never seen anything quite as horrific as what we've seen in this investigation."
Richard told News 4 he called Erie County's Adult Protective Services several times from his base in North Carolina that his sister was in imminent danger after finding out his sister had a bad cut on her arm.
"They said that everything was fine. That it was just an accident. That she had fallen down the steps and, as I said, I just know know absolutely that it was false," said Richard.
But Richard points out there are no stairs in the family's first floor apartment and the only stairs that Laura might have fallen from are on the outside of the house and they would have hardly caused a serious injury.
Richard told News 4 the case workers never even went into the house, which could have revealed a lot. Erie County Social Services Commissioner Carol Dankert, while not commenting specifically on this case, told News 4 case workers investigating a complaint by questioning the reported victim and the target of the complaint.
"We certainly would ask for access, but if the homeowner did not want us to enter the premise at that point in time on that initial visit, then we would not," explained Dankert.
The brother of Laura Cummings told News 4 his sister endured years of unspeakable abuse. That is, until two weeks ago, when authorities discovered her body in the family apartment and charged their mother with murder.
Airman First Class Richard Cummings is angry. Angry that he tried his best to save his sister from their mother's abuse, but authorities didn't seem to take his concerns seriously.
"I just really wish that someone would have actually stepped up and seen what was going on," said Richard.
On January 21, authorities found the body of 23-year-old Laura Cummings in the family's first floor apartment and last Saturday, their mother, was charged with second degree murder. Their brother, 31-year-old Luke Wright, was charged with assault.
Investigators accused the brother of pouring boiling water on Laura Cummings, as she was beaten and suffocated.
Capt. Ronald Kenyon, Erie County Sheriff Investigator, said, "All the detectives involved, myself included, I start 30 years next year, and we have never seen anything quite as horrific as what we've seen in this investigation."
Richard told News 4 he called Erie County's Adult Protective Services several times from his base in North Carolina that his sister was in imminent danger after finding out his sister had a bad cut on her arm.
"They said that everything was fine. That it was just an accident. That she had fallen down the steps and, as I said, I just know know absolutely that it was false," said Richard.
But Richard points out there are no stairs in the family's first floor apartment and the only stairs that Laura might have fallen from are on the outside of the house and they would have hardly caused a serious injury.
Richard told News 4 the case workers never even went into the house, which could have revealed a lot. Erie County Social Services Commissioner Carol Dankert, while not commenting specifically on this case, told News 4 case workers investigating a complaint by questioning the reported victim and the target of the complaint.
"We certainly would ask for access, but if the homeowner did not want us to enter the premise at that point in time on that initial visit, then we would not," explained Dankert.
