Family Demands Answers After 93-Year-Old Nun Found Dead in Snow Outside Nursing Home
The family of a 93-year-old former Catholic school teacher and nun is demanding urgent answers from a Connecticut nursing home after she was discovered dead in a snow bank during frigid subzero temperatures. Margaret "Peggy" Healey, a resident at Bickford Health Care Center in Windsor Locks, was found unresponsive in the facility's driveway early on Sunday morning, wearing only pajamas and sneakers.
Delayed Emergency Response Raises Serious Concerns
According to Windsor Locks Police Lt. Paul Cherniak, nursing home staff discovered Healey face down in the snow and brought her inside, attempting revival techniques with blankets before eventually calling for emergency medical support. Police records indicate the facility waited nearly two hours before contacting authorities, a delay that has sparked intense scrutiny from both law enforcement and grieving family members.
"We don't want to point fingers as to wrongdoing. We don't know if that's the case. We are still in the middle of it all," Cherniak stated. "But in a case like that, for future reference... you would call Emergency Medical Services and police as fast as you can."
Extreme Weather Conditions and Medical History
Healey, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, was found during dangerously cold conditions. Weather reports indicate temperatures had plunged to -1 degree Fahrenheit, with wind chill making it feel closer to -15 degrees. The elderly woman, known to have a history of wandering, wore an ankle bracelet designed to alert caregivers if she passed through unauthorized doorways.
"She has an ankle bracelet, and at least when I would take her out to lunch or something, the alarm would go off," explained Clare Kindall, Healey's niece. "So, my experience was the ankle bracelet worked. I don't know if there were subsequent problems with the system, but my personal experience was that it worked."
Family Grieves While Seeking Accountability
Kindall expressed the family's profound grief and mounting concerns about the circumstances surrounding her aunt's death. "As a family, we are all grieving about this," she said. "Obviously, we have some pretty significant concerns. It was bitterly cold that night. It was below 0 degrees without wind chill."
She continued with heartbreaking detail: "She was out in her pajamas and sneakers. Ten or 15 minutes, she's in hypothermia. We have a lot of questions... We're hoping she didn't suffer. It just adds to your pain."
Official Investigation Underway
The Connecticut Department of Public Health has confirmed it was informed of the incident and is conducting an investigation, though officials are prohibited from discussing details until findings are officially issued. In their preliminary report, police noted that "due to various factors present, (age, extreme cold weather, and overall medical health condition) the cause of death is currently undetermined."
The official cause will ultimately be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Meanwhile, the family remembers Healey as a vibrant, caring individual who dedicated her life to education and family.
"Aunt Peggy was a great aunt, she's the kind who would take you up horseback riding and take you to events, spoil you," Kindall recalled fondly. "She was great with her family. She loved animals, and she loved her students."
The Independent has reached out to Bickford Health Care Center for comment regarding the incident and the family's concerns about their emergency response procedures.
