Bessie Durham’s family and lawyers hold a news conference on Sept. 19 in Columbia, South Carolina.Photo:Jeffrey Collins/AP
Jeffrey Collins/AP
The family of a South Carolina womanfound dead last year in a Belk department store bathroomfour days after she went missing is now suing the retailer.
Bessie Durham’s family members and their lawyers held a news conference on Tuesday after filing the lawsuit in a Richland County court, according toCBS affiliate WLTX, theAssociated PressandFox affiliate WACH. The lawsuit comes on the one-year anniversary of Durham’s body being discovered.
The 63-year-old janitor was last seen on store surveillance footage entering a bathroom at a Belk location in Columbiana Center near Columbia, South Carolina, around 7 a.m. on Sept. 15, 2022, according to the reports. She died from a cardiac event shortly after, attorney Chris Hart said, per the AP.
Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said in a statement to PEOPLE last year that an autopsy found that Durham died of natural causes, and the results revealed no indication of foul play. Columbia Police also investigated Durham’s death, but determined no crime had been committed, the AP reported.
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In their lawsuit, the family claims that Belk failed to properly inspect the bathrooms and was negligent for not properly supervising the contractor it hired to clean and inspect the bathrooms, according to WACH.
The family also questioned why none of the store’s employees thought it was odd that Durham’s cart sat outside the bathroom for days. “They didn’t ask if Bessie was OK. They didn’t ask why hasn’t this cart moved in four days,” Hart said, per the AP. “They asked why aren’t the bathrooms being cleaned.”
Belk did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment about the lawsuit.
“At this time, we are working with KBS to determine the details around what happened,” the statement continued. “We have also made counselors available to Belk and KBS associates seeking support.”
KBS also provided a statement to PEOPLE at the time, saying the company was assisting with the investigation. “KBS extends our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Bessie Durham,” a company spokesperson stated.
“We have reached out to law enforcement to support their investigation and cooperate in any way we can,” they added. “KBS is providing assistance and services to our other team members.”
Durham’s family is seeking unspecified punitive damages from Belk in their lawsuit, per the reports.
source: people.com
