Parrot was witness to its owner's dying moments

Police in South Carolina say they believe the dying pleas of a neglected, elderly woman were echoed by a pet parrot as they combed through her fetid home.

Police Lt. Eric Bonnette says the bird mimicked the plaintive words of 98-year-old Anne Copeland, haunting authorities as they searched the house, which reeked of rotting flesh and animal feces.

Copeland was found covered with bed sores in a house in a community about 50 miles west of Charleston. She died the following day.

Copeland's adult daughter has been charged with abuse and neglect resulting in death of a vulnerable adult.

Police Lt. Eric Bonnette called it the most terrible case of neglect he has seen in 17 years of law enforcement work.