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SALT LAKE CITY — A licensed physician has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of her 54-year-old husband while under her care.
Ina Judith Amber, 63, of Cottonwood Heights, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with manslaughter, a second-degree felony; and aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult, a second-degree felony.
Prosecutors say Amber gave Rustin Orr a fatal mix of prescription medications and alcohol while under her care.
"Dr. Amber has been serving her patients for 37 years," Amber's attorney, Stephen Owens, said in a brief statement Friday afternoon. "She is a caring and compassionate physician. She disputes the charges against her."
Early in the morning on Sept. 11, 2014, police were called to Orr's residence, 7637 S. Prospector Drive, where his body was discovered. At the house, Amber identified herself as Orr's "sole physician and prescribing doctor for the prior 15 years," according to the charges.
Amber told investigators that in addition to suffering from heart arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation, Orr was an alcoholic and believed that was the cause of his death, the charges state.
Amber told police she signed for five prescriptions for her husband, including Librium. Next to Orr's body, police also found a Gatorade bottle mixed with vodka and a 30-pack of beer with 14 cans remaining, the charges state.
"Amber stated Mr. Orr consumed 750 ml or vodka daily, along with beer," the charges state. "Amber stated she had provided the beer to Mr. Orr."
She also told police she mixed the vodka with the Gatorade, according to the charges.
An autopsy determined Orr's cause of death to be alcohol and Librium intoxication, the charges state. The medical examiner noted that "neither substance would have been fatal in isolation, but the combination of substances caused Mr. Orr's death."
But Orr's friend Larry Jones to KSL News Amber was a caring wife, not a criminal
"This whole charge sickens me," Jones said. "She was doing what she could, as his doc, to keep his longevity."
In the weeks leading up to Orr's death, he was unable to leave the basement of the house and required assistance for all his basic needs, including feeding, clothing and standing up, according to charging documents.
Amber told police that Orr fell off the wagon in May 2014 after being sober for a while, and she was trying to "taper" her husband's alcoholism by providing him with specific doses of vodka and beer each day, the charges state.
"Amber admitted it was not ideal for someone to consume alcohol while taking Librium," the charges state. "Amber acknowledged the danger in combining alcohol and Librium but continued to supply Mr. Orr with both substances."
Investigators also noted that Amber "never created any medical records relating to her evaluation or diagnosis of Mr. Orr," the charges state.
In 11 months, Amber wrote 17 prescriptions of Librium for Orr, according to charging documents.
Contributing: Andrew Adams
