Woman disappears from mother’s sight after being discharged from hospital. A year later, she is found in the morgue

Jessie Marie Peterson suffered from type 1 diabetes and was therefore hospitalized at Mercy San Juan Medical Center in California on April 6, 2023. A few days later, Jessie’s mother was informed at the hospital that her daughter had been discharged. It turns out that Ginger Kongie no longer knew about her daughter’s whereabouts and not only participated in the disappearance of 31-year-old Jessie, but also put up posters trying to find the woman, according to Sky News.

A year later, the mystery was solved. On April 12, 2024, the Sacramento County Detective Department notified the family that Jessie had been found dead at Mercy San Juan Hospital. Jessie’s body had been in the morgue for a year.

According to her death certificate, Jessie died of cardiovascular arrest. As the court documented, Jessie’s body “was so decomposed that an open-casket burial was not possible, and an autopsy was unable to determine whether medical malpractice played any role in her death.”

The family has filed a lawsuit against the hospital department. It claims there was negligence and is seeking almost five million euros in compensation.

“Defendants’ failure to promptly issue a death certificate, fail to notify Jesse’s next of kin, fail to permit an autopsy, and mishandle Jesse’s remains was negligent, careless, and insensitive,” the lawsuit says.