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Dave Lake was indicted on a first degree murder charge Oct. 22 and signed by Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina.
An arraignment will be held next month in Superior Court in Mount Holly, Coffina said.
The investigation began after Maple Shade police and the Maple Shade First Aid Squad were dispatched to the Palace Rehabilitation and Care Center in the 300 block of West Mill Road on the morning of Jan. 17 for a report of an assault, Coffina said.
The investigation found that Lake had attacked Melvyn Waldo, 78, who was immobile and non-verbal while the victim was in his bed in their room, the prosecutor said.
Waldo died March 5 at Cooper University Hospital in Camden. An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood ruled the death a homicide and determined the cause was due to complications from the head and facial injuries Waldo received during the beating, Coffina said.
The charge against Lake was upgraded March 18 from first-degree attempted murder to first-degree murder, Coffina said.
Lake is presently being held at the Ann Klein Forensic Center in West Trenton, he said.
The case is being handled by Assistant Prosecutor Bob Van Gilst.
The investigation was conducted by the Maple Shade Police Department and the Prosecutor’s Office.
The lead investigators were MSPD Det. Brian Martino and BCPO Det. Jenn Marchese.
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