'Suicide couple too proud to seek help'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An elderly couple are thought to have killed themselves because they could no longer care for their retarded son and were too proud to accept help from social services.
Ron Legg, 50, who had the mental age of a child, spent days living with the bodies of his parents - Charlie, 83, and Vera, 79 - unable to tell anyone what had happened. The bodies were discovered yesterday at the family's country cottage in Winterborne Stickland, near Blandford, Dorset.
Mr Legg, a retired dairyman and his wife, were both almost blind, but they insisted on continuing to care for both themselves and their son. The couple also had two other children, a girl and a boy, but both had died as infants.
Mrs Legg's sister, Kathleen Staunton, 73, said: "Vera and Charlie loved Ron so much they could not let him go. They adored him, but just lately they were having trouble looking after even themselves and it was all getting too much ... I feel so sorry for Ron. It seems he was in the house all the time after they died, but he would not have known what was happening or what to do about it."
Mrs Legg's brother-in-law Ken Gillies, 67, said: "They were just too proud to accept that they could no longer fend for themselves."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments