YORK, Pa. — Authorities have dropped a simple assault charge against a Maryland man who used a dog leash to lead his wife around a Pennsylvania fair because she has late-stage dementia.

Court documents show York County District Attorney Dave Sunday found the husband “made an ill-advised decision while attempting to provide his dying wife a trip to the fair.” A judge signed the order dismissing the charges on Tuesday.

Walter Wolford had taken his wife to the York County Fair last September.

Police said Wolford yanked the 8-inch long red nylon leash, causing his wife’s head to jerk back and leave red marks around her throat. But the 67-year-old Hagerstown, Maryland, resident claimed he only gently tugged on the leash, which he uses to keep his wife from getting lost.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)