New details have emerged about the tragic death of Chelsea Adolphus.

The 28-year-old woman tragically died hours after being discovered on the roof of Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, Illinois, ABC 7 reports.

According to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek, preliminary autopsy results indicate Adolphus died from hypothermia, as a result of cold exposure.

Multiple investigations are underway to determine how she ended up on the hospital roof in such a vulnerable state.

Hospital personnel found Adolphus on the second-floor roof around 9:00AM last Thursday, Banek confirmed. Surveillance footage shows she left her hospital room at approximately 2:00AM, wearing only a hospital gown.

Seven hours later, she was found on the roof with a body temperature of about 50 degrees (10°C).

Despite the hospital staff's efforts to resuscitate her over the course of 14 hours, Adolphus was pronounced dead at around 11:00PM.

Her family is grappling with the devastating loss and seeking clarity on how such a tragedy could occur.

"We want to know exactly what happened from when my sister set foot in that facility," her brother, Paul Adolphus, said during a press conference at the Lake County Coroner's Office.

Adolphus had reportedly visited the hospital for a minor medical issue and was expected to be discharged soon. Relatives say they are baffled by how she accessed the roof, which investigators noted had a door that locked from the outside.

Hospital Faces Scrutiny

Coroner Banek, a former employee of the hospital, has raised concerns about Vista Medical Center’s ability to provide adequate care.

"American Healthcare Systems must be held accountable to provide safe, quality healthcare to Waukegan and its surrounding communities," Banek said, referencing the hospital’s loss of its trauma designation last year and citing ongoing financial issues.

She highlighted that the hospital owes $1 million in back taxes and has failed to meet obligations to vendors, clinical providers, and even the city of Waukegan for its water bills.

Banek further revealed that the Waukegan Police Department had not been notified of the incident until her office made them aware. She has issued a preservation letter to the hospital, instructing them to secure all evidence related to the case, including video footage and digital records.

Heartbroken Family Speaks Out

Paul Adolphus expressed anger and disbelief over the hospital’s handling of his sister’s death.

"My sister didn’t deserve this," he said. "She was young and changing her life around to be an amazing person to travel the world through real estate."

Paul also questioned the hospital's security and monitoring systems: "Where is the surveillance team? Where’s the camera? Where’s the, ‘Hey, where’s the doctors?’ We want to know exactly what happened."

He added: "I don’t think it’s fair that my sister came to a facility that is supposed to be safe, and they end up being the one causing the death of my sister."

Hospital Responds

American Healthcare Systems, which operates Vista Medical Center, issued a statement offering condolences to Adolphus’ family but declined to provide specific details about the incident, citing HIPAA regulations.

"We deeply regret the incident that occurred at Vista Medical Center on January 23, 2025," the statement read. "We are conducting our own internal investigation, which is ongoing. Additionally, we have reported the incident to state and federal regulatory agencies, and we are cooperating fully with them and with local law enforcement."

A hospital spokesperson confirmed that an internal investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, the family has retained an attorney, who is reportedly considering filing a civil lawsuit.

As investigations continue, Adolphus' loved ones remain determined to uncover the full truth behind her untimely death.

Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

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A hospice facility in Iowa has been hit with a $10,000 fine after a woman presumed to be deceased was found hours later gasping for air inside a body bag at a funeral home.

As reported by NBC News, a nurse at Glen Oaks Alzheimer's Special Care Center in Urbandale believed the 66-year-old woman to have died on January 3. As such, she was taken to a funeral home, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals said in a report on Wednesday.

Per the report, the woman, who remains unnamed, was in hospice care from December 28 due to "senile degeneration of the brain."

At 6 AM on January 3, a nurse, having checked on the woman, found no signs of life.

Her "mouth was open, her eyes were fixed, and there were no breath sounds," the report says, adding that a nurse was not able to find the patient's pulse using a stethoscope.

The nurse placed her hand on the patient's abdomen and "noted no movement," according to the report. Presuming the woman had died, the nurse informed a relative and the on-call hospice nurse, the report adds.

"Hospice agreed to call the funeral home and did so," it says.

Over an hour later, a funeral director put the woman's body on a gurney "inside a cloth bag and zipped it shut," the report says. The director left with the supposedly deceased patient some minutes later, the report adds. Not long before 8:30 AM, it came to the attention of employees at the funeral home that the woman was actually still alive, says the report.

It adds: "Funeral home staff unzipped the bag and observed Resident #1's chest was moving and she was gasping for air. The funeral home then called 911 and hospice."

When EMS personnel arrived, they found the woman's pulse and said she had no eye movement or verbal, vocal or motor response, per the report.

The patient was transferred to the emergency room. When she was back at the hospice facility, she passed away with her family by her side two days later, the state report notes.

A spokesperson for the state Department of Inspections and Appeals has confirmed that the state fined the facility $10,000, which is the maximum amount permitted based on Iowa law.

A state citation from Wednesday said that the facility "failed to provide adequate direction to ensure appropriate cares and services were provided" and it essentially denied her "dignified treatment and care at end of life."

The executive director of the hospice facility said representatives have been in contact with the woman's family.

"We care deeply for our residents and remain fully committed to supporting their end-of-life care," Executive Director Lisa Eastman said in a statement. "All employees undergo regular training so they can best support end-of-life care and the death of our residents."

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A 43-year-old Ohio woman was tragically found dead in her yard - with authorities pointing to hypothermia due to the harsh winter conditions as a possible contributing factor.

Eugenia Michele Wadman was discovered outside her home in Willard, Ohio, on Sunday (January 19), per reports from local outlets WOIO-TV, WKYC, and the Norwalk Reflector.

The Huron County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive individual just after 11:00AM.

Upon arriving at the scene, deputies found Wadman deceased in her snow-covered yard.

Preliminary findings from the sheriff’s office indicate that Wadman had taken her dog outside during the night while dressed in “only light pajamas". Investigators believe she fell and sustained injuries consistent with “struggling and crawling on the snow- and ice-covered yard,” WKYC reported.

At the time of the incident, temperatures in the Willard area had plummeted to around 20°F (-6.667°C).

With only light clothing, it is believed that Wadman likely succumbed to hypothermia as she struggled to recover from the fall.

"Hypothermia likely set in quickly due to the mid to low 20-degree temperatures," the local sheriff's office said in a statement

Deputies also noted that medical conditions could have played a role, but foul play is not suspected, per the Norwalk Reflector.

The Huron County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation, and an autopsy is being conducted by the Lucas County Medical Examiner.

A Stark Reminder of Winter’s Dangers

This tragedy comes amid a series of cold-related fatalities across the Midwest. Earlier this month, three others were found dead from suspected hypothermia in Ohio: a man in Norwood, an 83-year-old man in Cincinnati, and a 94-year-old woman from Franklin, WCPO reported.

In response to the freezing temperatures, local health departments have been issuing warnings about frostbite and hypothermia.

On January 22, Huron County Public Health shared a Facebook post listing hypothermia symptoms such as shivering, confusion, exhaustion, memory loss, slurred speech, and drowsiness.

Dr. Robert Thomas, an emergency physician at UC Medical Center, urged vigilance, telling WCPO: “If your skin is turning black, purple, blue, or gray, that would also be a reason to seek medical attention. Or if someone is more confused or sleepy than normal after being in the cold, or they complain of a bad headache, those are signs to watch for.”

Wadman’s tragic death serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers posed by extreme cold weather, particularly when individuals are inadequately dressed or exposed to the elements for prolonged periods.

As investigations continue, officials urge residents to prioritize safety during frigid conditions.

Our thoughts go out to Wadman's family and loved ones at this time.

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A 74-year-old woman who had been declared dead at the nursing home where she was living was actually found to be alive and breathing by horrified staff at a funeral home.

Constance Glantz, 74, was pronounced dead at her nursing home in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Monday morning and was transferred to the Butherus-Maser & Love Funeral Home, according to ABC News.

However, just before noon, a funeral worker who had been tasked with tending to her body found that Glantz, who had been under hospice care, was actually still breathing.

Staff immediately began to perform CPR and called the authorities, and Glantz was rushed to a nearby hospital where she is being treated and is still alive.

Lancaster County Chief Deputy Ben Houchin told reporters: "It’s a very unusual case.

"Been doing this 31 years and nothing like this has ever gotten to this point before."

Glantz had been declared dead at the nursing home at 9:44AM according to reports, and authorities were called at 11:44AM after the funeral home worker found her still breathing and "instantly called 911".

Her family was also informed after CPR was performed and Glantz was taken in to the hospital where she remains alive.

Houchin revealed that usually at least two people are involved in transporting a patient's body from a nursing home to a funeral parlor, however, the fact Glantz was alive was not noticed until the funeral home worker was asked to "start their process" to preparing her body.

He added: "I’m sure the nursing home and everybody else is going to be taking a look into what has happened, and I’m sure they’ll look and see if new protocols need to be made and if they were all followed."

The nursing home is not expected to face any charges, and they were not required to contact the coroner or local authority after she was declared dead given that her apparent 'death' was not considered suspicious as it had been expected as she was under care in the hospice center.

Hospice care is usually for patients facing terminal illness, where end-of-life care can be given to ease their symptoms and make them more comfortable as they approach death.

Houchin explained why a coroner was not needed in Glantz's case: "Those are a ‘death of a patient is anticipated’ – which this was – and a physician had seen her in the last seven days and the physician is willing to sign the death certificate, and that there was nothing suspicious at that time of the death – all of those fit.

"That’s the reason why (the sheriff’s office) was not sent initially to the nursing home."

An investigation is currently underway but no criminal charges are pending, as Houchin added: "We have not been able to find any criminal intent by the nursing home but the investigation is ongoing."

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A Colorado woman is behind bars after her elderly mother was found mauled to death inside a home filled with dozens of neglected dogs.

Jessica Hoff, 47, was arrested on Friday (March 21) by the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office -- more than a month after the horrifying discovery of her 76-year-old mother, LaVonne Hoff, inside their Colorado City home.

Authorities were called to a home on Jefferson Boulevard in Pueblo County on February 3 following a report of an unconscious woman. When they arrived, they found LaVonne’s lifeless body surrounded by several loose dogs, with dozens more roaming the house.

“Sheriff’s detectives conducted an extensive investigation and learned that Jessica Hoff had left her mother at home alone with her dogs that day while she went to Pueblo to run errands,” PCSO officials said in a press release.

“LaVonne Hoff reportedly had dementia and required 24-hour care. Detectives learned that while LaVonne Hoff was left alone, she was attacked by the dogs that were loose in the home," police said.

Medical personnel pronounced LaVonne was pronounced dead at the scene, and an autopsy later confirmed that she died from injuries sustained in a dog attack, per the sheriff’s office.

Deputies also searched a second property owned by Hoff in Colorado City, where they found additional caged dogs and birds. Altogether, she was keeping 54 dogs and seven birds.

The animals were reportedly living in unsanitary conditions and several of the dogs were ill, according to law enforcement.

"The Sheriff’s Office worked with Animal Law Enforcement to seize the dogs and the birds," police officials noted.

The sheriff's office disclosed that Hoff was taken into custody and booked into the Pueblo County Jail.

She now faces several charges, including criminal negligence resulting in the death of an at-risk adult, along with 54 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, one for each dog found in her care.

Although authorities have not yet confirmed the breeds of the dogs that killed LaVonne, national data shows Pitbulls are responsible for the most fatal dog attacks in the US, accounting for 284 deaths - roughly 65.6% of all dog bite fatalities.

Rottweilers follow as the second deadliest breed, linked to 10.4% of those incidents.

Per court records obtained by PEOPLE, the younger Hoff's bond was set at $50,000 and is next due in court on March 27.

Featured image credit: Pueblo County Sheriff