Woman, 84, 'Froze to Death' After Walking Out Unlocked Nursing Home Door: Lawsuit By Christine Pelisek

The family of an 84-year-old woman who froze to death outside a nursing home in Ohio has filed a lawsuit.

The wrongful death, recklessness and negligence lawsuit alleges that Alvera Meuti, a patient at Avenue at Warrensville Care and Rehabilitation Center, went missing the evening of Dec. 23, 2024, and was later found unresponsive on a patio outside the Warrensville Heights facility.

The owners of the facility as well as nurse Amber Henderson are defendants in the recently filed lawsuit.

Last March, Henderson was indicted on criminal charges that include involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor patient neglect.

“Alvera’s injuries and death were the result of the entity Defendants’ failure to ensure that the Facility was properly staffed and that the Facility was properly secured to protect and meet the needs of its residents including Alvera,” the lawsuit states.

According to the lawsuit, Meuti, who suffered from multiple health conditions and needed to be checked regularly, was not in her room when Henderson checked at 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 23 — but “no report was made, and no action was taken” to locate her.

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The lawsuit, reviewed by PEOPLE, alleged that Meuti’s room was located next to an exit door “that was left unlocked despite the fact that a keypad and alarm should have been present, to stop a resident from exiting without notice or an alarm sounding,” the complaint states.

According to prosecutors, later that night, around 12:36 a.m., Henderson tried to call Meuti’s family to check if she was with them. “The family did not answer, and Henderson continued her shift,” according to a press release. “The next morning, around 6:30 a.m., Henderson told her supervisor she had not seen Alvera her entire shift, and a “Code Purple” was called.”

Meuti was found outside on the patio, lying on her back.

According to the lawsuit, the octogenarian was found near the area where she exited and “near a door that locked behind her, with no ability to re-enter. Alvera died from hypothermia as she froze to death.”

Henderson was arrested on Jan. 16, 2025, and has entered not guilty pleas to the criminal charges. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 27, per Fox 8.

Henderson’s lawyer Charles W. Bennett said that his client “did nothing wrong,” in a statement to Fox 8. “I will vigorously defend her. “

Attorneys for the owners of the care facility could not be reached for comment.