Second cold weather death investigated - MSNewsNow.com - Jackson, MS

Second cold weather death investigated

By Roslyn Anderson - bio | email

JACKSON, MS (WLBT) – Conditions in the Capital City were being described as deadly with cold weather claiming yet another person Wednesday.

Meanwhile State Health Department officials are investigating a personal care home where a woman died from frigid temperatures Monday.

Below freezing temperatures are blamed for the death of an elderly Jackson man.

Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said 75 year old A.C. Kersh suffered hypothermia and was pronounced dead Tuesday at Baptist Medical Center.

Kersh was found unresponsive at the home he shared with his elderly sister.

"I got a call from Baptist Hospital where they had an elderly man come in with extremely cold body temperature and they too were unable to get a reading on their thermometer, and I was informed that the thermometer will not read when the body temperature is excessively cold," said Grisham-Stewart.

A day earlier the coroner investigated the death of 43 year old Janice Hollins.

She was found at a personal care home at 2102 Barrett Avenue.

Hollins body temperature was so low the coroner was unable to get a reading.

Grisham-Stewart said Hollins suffered mental illness and died inside a room with broken windows and no heat.

"They reportedly poured water on her I guess trying to revive her or resuscitate her and then realized that she was deceased and they reportedly changed her clothes, brought her to the front of the house and placed her in the bed where I examined her," said the coroner.

The only heat source inside the home was an oven.

The coroner said a woman told her she cared for five others there who had been taken to another location.

Wednesday no one answered the door at the home.

The State Health Department has launched a probe into the west Jackson home after receiving a complaint.

"The location is not a licensed personal care home. State law requires that you must be certified if you care for more than three unrelated people," said State Health Department Director of Communications Liz Sharlot.

State health officials made two visits to the location and found it vacant.

"Miss Hollins' death has really bothered me I guess in particular because she was in a personal care home and unable to necessarily care for herself and relied on someone else," added the coroner.

State health investigators said they will continue to monitor the home and try to locate the person who was operating the unlicensed facility.

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