Brian Matthew Zurmuhlen, a 61-year-old man from Lusby, Maryland, is facing elder abuse charges after a DoorDash delivery driver sounded the alarm on concerning behavior she witnessed.
During a routine delivery, driver Courtney Seaton signed on for extra work when Zurmuhlen asked her if she had any experience working as caregiver. However, the gig didn’t last long.
Seaton told WTOP that the work included household chores and grocery shopping.
The next day, Zurmuhlen requested a steakhouse delivery. But, unlike the initial order, the request included a plate for a woman named Jo-Ann who was also at the home.
“I fixed him a plate of everything that he wanted,” Seaton said. “He had me fix her a plate with yogurt and blueberries and strawberries in it.”
Although Seaton took the food into Jo-Ann’s room, she said Zurmuhlen didn’t really want her to go in. He told her to fix the food, take it to her and shut the door.
“She was nothing but bone and skin,” Seaton said. She was shocked at what she saw.
Later, Seaton was asked to empty Jo-Ann’s bedside commode.
“When I saw her urine, it severely was dark,” Seaton said. “I know I compared it to a pot of coffee, but it was — truly was that dark.”
Seaton quit on day three after she says Zurmuhlen asked her to lock Jo-Ann in the room.
“Instead of you being able to lock it from the inside, the lock was on the outside the door,” Seaton said.
She didn’t see the padlock that investigators later saw, but speculated that it’s possible additions could have been made after she was there last.
Seaton consulted with both her boyfriend and mother about the situation, ultimately deciding to call the Adult Protective Services of Calvert County.
A representative did make a home visit, but there was no answer at the door. The official ended up leaving a business card on the door.
It wasn’t until March 21 that a welfare check was carried out by the Maryland State Police.
Zurmuhlen was arrested at a later date. Court records show he is scheduled to appear for a preliminary inquiry on May 11.
Seaton also told WTOP that the police welfare check intersected with another event that day, one involving viral police body camera footage that captured the moment officers saved a choking baby.
She said that while law enforcement officers were “dealing with my situation over at that house, the choking baby was right across the street.”
WTOP’s Michelle Basch contributed to this story.
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