Michigan caregiver sentenced in hypothermia death of 82-year-old found in snow

(CBS DETROIT) – A 58-year-old Michigan woman was sentenced for her role in the case 82-year-old woman dies from cold in 2022officials said.

Colleen Kelly O'Connor, of East Lansing, was sentenced to two years of probation and six months in prison. In June, she was convicted by a jury of one count of second-degree abuse of a vulnerable adult.

O'Connor was also ordered to pay $1,115.00 in restitution to the victim's daughter.

The incident occurred at Vista Springs Imperial Park in Timber Ridge, a Clinton County senior living facility. The 82-year-old woman, who was under O'Connor's care, died of exposure to the cold after being left unattended.

Authorities say O'Connor saw the victim go out in a blizzard with single-digit temperatures and sub-zero wind chills without proper attire on two occasions early on Dec. 23, 2022.

Around 7 a.m., a snowplow driver found the 82-year-old woman partially buried under snow. It's unclear how long the woman had been outside before she was found, according to the attorney general's office.

She was taken to a local hospital, where she died of hypothermia.

The Bath Township Police Department and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office investigated the case, and O'Connor was indicted in November 2023.

“Healthcare workers have an immense responsibility that is sometimes tragically overlooked,” Nessel said. “The devastating consequences of this incident underscore the importance of vigilance and compassion in fulfilling that obligation.”