Family of woman found dead outside North KC hospital during blizzard awaits answers
Family members of a woman found dead on the North Kansas City Hospital campus in the wake of the blizzard that struck the metro earlier this month continue to wait for answers about her death.
The woman was a patient at the hospital before her death, authorities said, and one family member told The Star hospital officials have yet to reach out about the death.
Police identified the deceased woman as Loria Annette Fells, 63, of Kansas City. She was taken to the facility by the Kansas City Fire Department mid-day Jan. 5 as a severe winter storm pummeled the region with ice, strong winds and several inches of snow that weekend.
Fells’ body was found outside on the hospital the following morning, Jan. 6, authorities said.
Fells was taken to the hospital by ambulance after a car crash and wouldn’t have had a vehicle at the hospital, a realtive told The Star.
“It’s just awful peculiar to us,” said Nena Turner, Fells’ cousin.
Representatives for the hospital did not respond to a request for comment Friday. In a statement provided to The Star earlier this month, North Kansas City Hospital Chief Operating Officer Kerri Jenkins acknowledged the death and said the hospital was cooperating with authorities to investigate but declined to offer further information.
Authorities have released little information about the circumstances surrounding Fells’ death. In an initial announcement, they said there were no obvious signs of trauma on the woman’s body.
Speaking on behalf of the police department, Deputy City Administrator Kim Nakahodo said on Friday that the incident remains under investigation, and no additional information is available.
Turner said hospital officials have not reached out to family members in the wake of the death and said loved ones have only been told the incident is still being investigated.
The death was painful for Fells’ sister, who lost another sister last year and now has no living siblings left, Turner said.
“We as a family, we’re trying to pull together,” she said. “We’re upset. Losing another relative like that and under the circumstances that it happened, it is very upsetting.”
Turner recalled memories of seeing her cousin at family reunions over the years and more recently of spending time around each other at monthly gatherings of cousins where the family would reminisce, pray for each other and catch up on life. Turner remembers her late cousin now as a sweet person who would inspire laughter, who would do anything to help.
Loved ones are left now with questions.
“As of right now,” Turner said, “it’s still under investigation, and we have no idea what happened.”
