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Family Sues Over Alzheimer's Patient's Freezing Death

Genevieve Klimczak
Genevieve Klimczak (Family Photo)

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The family of an Alzheimer's patient who froze to death almost a year ago is suing the McHenry retirement center where she lived.

"She will be dearly missed by a lot of people. We just never thought in a million years it would end this way," said David Lorenz, whose aunt, Genevieve Klimczak froze to death last year.

Family Sues Over Woman's Death

Klimczak's body was found just outside a door of the McHenry Villa retirement center.

"There was no alarm system, there was no cameras that would monitor people," he said.

Lorenz said the staff at McHenry Villa was well aware his 91-year-old aunt had Alzheimer's.

Attorneys for the family say she was found after a night of 7-degree weather, and that she was outside for about 12 hours, next to a door with no access from the outside.

A spokeswoman for McHenry Villa said she has not seen the lawsuit and cannot comment.

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