Can you give up responsibility for your spouse?

Not me.

Location: SLC area Utah.

Hypothetical question. Ok. Maybe not hypothetical but it is NOT my family.

Adult child moves home to help care for aging parents. Step-Father(adopted her as young adult) has Alzheimer’s. Not doing well but still moving around etc. can make cereal etc. so many years to go. They can’t afford to put him in a home.

An ugly truth comes to light. Apparently he committed some heinous crimes prior to marrying his wife. Bad. Very bad. Like bad.

So bad that they now are struggling to take care of him without anger. He has no family of his own.

Could they legally have him removed from their care?

Idea 1- get a divorce. Time consuming due to his mental state. Then what?

Idea 2- hope he is arrested but his mental state makes that unlikely despite the evidence and facts came out. (They learned of it when the cops showed up and independently verified he is guilty)

Taking care of him for 9 months minimum, while the divorce process goes through is maddening. Torturous.

But they don’t want to risk charges for elder abuse. And he could live for years. But they are not willing to care for him now, regardless of how much memory he has of the crimes.

Ideas? Who could help them get him legally out of the house? Once again, no money for a nursing home.