Family Learns Year Later Daughter’s Body Was in Storage at Hospital

A California hospital is facing a lawsuit after reportedly taking 361 days to inform the family of Jessie Peterson about her death. This delay led her family to conduct a statewide search for her, believing she was still missing.

Jessie Peterson, who was 31 years old, checked into Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael on April 6, 2023. She was there following a diabetic episode; Jessie had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 10.

On April 8, 2023, Jessie called her mother, Ginger Congi, asking her to come to pick her up from the hospital. Tragically, just two hours later, she passed away. The following day, hospital staff moved her body to a storage facility, where it remained for nearly a year.

As time passed without any communication from Jessie, her concerned mother contacted the hospital on April 11, 2023, seeking information about her daughter’s status. A hospital staff member misleadingly informed her that Jessie had discharged herself against medical advice, leading the family to believe she was still alive.

In response, Jessie’s family launched a comprehensive search for her, reporting her missing to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and the California Department of Justice to have her included on their missing persons list.

Relatives distributed flyers and reached out to local police departments and hospitals in their pursuit of answers. Angie’s sister, Angie Rubino, took it upon herself to talk to homeless individuals in the area where Jessie was last seen, hoping to gather any information about her whereabouts.

It was not until April 12, 2024, that a representative from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office contacted the family with the devastating news: Jessie had died. To their shock, her remains had been kept in a cold storage facility, labeled “Red 22 A,” for an astonishing 361 days.

The sheriff’s department revealed that a doctor at the hospital had filed a death certificate for Jessie. According to state law, medical professionals are required to file such certificates within 15 hours of a patient’s death.

The Peterson family is seeking answers regarding the circumstances surrounding the handling of Jessie’s death and demanding $25 million in damages. They have described the hospital’s conduct as “outrageous and inexcusable negligence.”

Furthermore, the family expressed their frustration with inconsistencies in the medical records, which fail to clarify what had transpired during the time following Jessie’s death and why it took so long for her family to be notified.

By the time the family was finally able to locate Jessie’s body, the remains had decomposed to such an extent that an autopsy was no longer feasible.

A spokesperson for Mercy San Juan Medical Center expressed condolences to the family, stating, “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family during this difficult time. We are unable to comment on pending litigation.”