Published • loading... • Updated
Police: Heat Was Set to 99 Degrees in Apartment Where Woman Was Found Dead
Investigators said the room reached 99 degrees after the facility switched from air conditioning to heat.
- On Sept. 30, staff found 86-year-old Sheila Szczypinski dead in her room at Golden Pond Assisted Living in Hopkinton, where firefighters discovered the thermostat reading 99 degrees.
- The facility had switched from air conditioning to heat the previous day, though Douglas Noble, director of operations at Golden Pond, maintained the HVAC system was working properly.
- Szczypinski lived in an 'independent care' unit where she managed her own medication; her next of kin told investigators she 'got confused easily' and 'may have inadvertently turned the heat on too high.'
- The Middlesex District Attorney is investigating the death, while Jennifer Benson, director for AARP Massachusetts, called the incident 'preventable,' stating, 'It's never acceptable for something like this to happen.'
- Golden Pond faced state admissions restrictions following compliance reviews in 2023 and 2025, and authorities have not yet released an official cause of death as the investigation continues.
Insights by Ground AI
32 Articles
32 Articles
A 86-year-old was found dead in her room in a senior residence in Massachusetts. In the room it is said to have had more than 37 degrees. The cause of death is still unclear.
·Vienna, Austria
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources32
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center26Last UpdatedBias Distribution90% Center
Bias Distribution
- 90% of the sources are Center
90% Center
C 90%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
