By Dan Crisler

Copyright omaha

A 43-year-old Omaha woman described as a caretaker for four vulnerable adults instead siphoned their government benefits, provided inadequate food and allowed the adults and pets to live in filthy conditions, an Omaha police detective testified Monday.

Detective Dustin Morris alleged Nicky Budlong withdrew the Social Security funds meant for her former significant other William “Howard” Thurman, 79; step-aunt Kathy Snider, 66; mother Debra Moody, 72; and Moody’s husband, Bill Moody, 62. Additionally, Morris testified, Budlong, as caretaker, did not give any of the four adults access to a vehicle and brought minimal food, which led to extreme weight loss among the vulnerable adults.

The conditions allegedly led Snider on Feb. 12 to die of starvation and other maladies in the house she, Thurman and the Moodys shared near 26th and Arbor Streets, just east of Interstate 480. The conditions also led to Thurman being hospitalized.

Budlong has been charged with manslaughter, abuse of a vulnerable adult and three counts of theft totaling more than $5,000 each. Morris’ testimony came during Budlong’s preliminary hearing in Douglas County Court on Monday.

As Morris recounted details that were often gruesome, he acknowledged police initially did not investigate Snider’s death as suspicious. Snider, Morris testified, suffered from diabetes and dementia which led the Douglas County Coroner’s Office to initially not perform an autopsy.

Morris said Snider had bruises “all over her body” but that information was not initially relayed to the Coroner’s Office. There was no evidence Snider suffered from physical abuse and police interviews revealed she was known to fall, hence the likely cause of the bruises, Morris said.

Police began investigating Snider’s death as suspicious after another police officer shared more details that “were very concerning,” Morris said.

Once Morris relayed the officer’s details to the Coroner’s Office, an autopsy on Snider’s body was performed. The autopsy determined Snider died of pneumonia and complications from diabetes in addition to starvation, Morris said.

Before Snider died, she, Thurman and the Moodys lived under the control and fear of Budlong for years, according to survivors who spoke with The World-Herald.

Budlong began renting the house in early 2021. At the time, she, Thurman and Snider lived in the house, Morris said. Bill and Debra Moody moved into the house with the three in 2022. Budlong moved out of the house around April 2024 but still was supposed to be acting as the caretaker for the other residents.

Morris said Thurman told police he remained in control of his finances until 2022 when Budlong, who had been in a relationship with Thurman since 2002, allegedly took control. She also allegedly took control of Snider’s and the Moodys’ finances, which mainly consisted of Social Security payments.

According to Morris, whenever the Social Security payments were made to the recipients, Budlong allegedly withdrew the money and put it on Walmart debit cards, “usually the same day or the next day.”

Morris alleged Budlong also took out more money than the Moodys, Snider and Thurman needed to pay for living expenses.

“There was no explanation for why there was an overage,” Morris said.

When residents asked to have control of their finances, Budlong threatened them with eviction, Morris alleged.

Morris also alleged Budlong was inconsistent in bringing food to the house. In one example, Morris alleged Budlong brought a 10-pound roll of hamburger that was supposed to feed the four vulnerable adults for the next week.

“They were basically just cooking hamburger and then just eating the hamburger with nothing else,” Morris said.

Morris testified the house’s residents would resort to giving some of what little food they have to the pets living with them when Budlong allegedly failed to replace the empty pet food supply.

Morris also said, when police first walked through the house, no clean clothing could be found. Residents told police Budlong only allowed them to do one load of laundry per week and forbade them from using the dryer.

Morris said Budlong also forbade residents from adjusting the thermostat. Morris also described the presence of human and animal waste throughout the house.

Even after Snider’s death and Thurman’s transfer to the hospital, Budlong, who was not arrested until Aug. 18, still sought to control the Moodys, Morris alleged. Morris recounted a social worker, who spoke with the Moodys by phone, being prevented from interviewing the Moodys without Budlong present. During a phone conversation with Debra Moody, the social worker allegedly heard Budlong screaming for Moody not to talk and hang up the phone.

After Morris’ lengthy testimony and cross-examination, a Douglas County judge transferred Budlong’s case to District Court, where Budlong could eventually go to trial.