A Lawrence man said he was “going through hell” as he faced charges that he murdered his elderly father by neglect.

Timothy D. Harrell spoke those words Wednesday after he left an appearance in Douglas County District Court, but he declined to speak any more about his case.

Harrell, 44, is free on bond but charged with second-degree murder and mistreatment of a dependent adult in connection with the death of Henry Ford Harrell, 84, who died Nov. 20, 2002.

Timothy Harrell’s 40-year-old wife, Berdella I. Harrell, is charged with mistreatment of a dependent adult, a misdemeanor.

Appearing before Judge Michael Malone, Timothy Harrell said he wanted to hire a private attorney but didn’t have the money.

On an application for a court-appointed attorney, he wrote that he earned $8 per hour working for an apartment-management company and was self-employed as a window cleaner.

He also wrote he had three teenage dependents, along with his wife, who is unemployed.

Malone glanced at the form for a few moments and told Harrell, “You clearly qualify for court-appointed counsel.” Malone appointed attorney Greg Robinson to the case and told Harrell to contact Robinson as soon as possible — not within the next four or five days, Malone said, but within the next four or five hours.

“These are serious charges, so your attorney will need some time to look into the matter,” Malone said.

Prosecutors allege the two withheld needed care from Henry Harrell for more than a year. He died at Lawrence Memorial Hospital of complications of bedsores “in association with acute pneumonia,” according to an autopsy.

The Rev. Jim Shaughnessy, pastor of Corpus Christi Catholic Church, told The Journal-World that Timothy Harrell was referred to the church for financial assistance as early as 1999 “because he was not mentally capable of handling money.”

Shaughnessy said he thought the Harrells could have benefited from state social-service agencies but said the agencies were “so underfunded and understaffed that tragic events like this are going to happen with more and more frequency.”

Berdella Harrell’s attorney, J.C. Gilroy, scheduled a jury trial in the misdemeanor case for 9 a.m. July 28. Timothy Harrell’s next court date will be at 2 p.m. May 21.