JACKSONVILLE, Ark. – A Central Arkansas woman’s unexplained death on the job made even worse by the fact that no one told her family for days.
Mattie Woodard went to work at Pathfinder in Jacksonville alive last Wednesday but left in ambulance. At this point, it’s unclear what caused her death.
“They shipped her over there to the coroner’s office, put her in the freezer and put a tag on her that said no next of kin,” said Woodard’s daughter.
Pathfinder Homes claims at 2:15 a.m. Thursday, May 12 Woodard asked for a cup of water, but at 2:55 a.m. she was found unresponsive and taken to the hospital. She was declared dead upon arrival and the family was never notified.
“She is found unresponsive and no pulse and sent to the hospital I think that they would use the contact and notify us,” said Kendrick Franklin, Woodard’s son.
After days without hearing from her, the family went searching. Woodard was found at the Pulaski County Morgue Monday, four days after passing.
North Metro Medical Center in Jacksonville claimed they never got emergency contact information from Woodard’s employer.
The family gave us several pages of documents, supposedly from Pathfinder. In the documents, it alleges Pathfinder saying: “It was a very unfortunate chain of events that we expected the coroner’s office was making contact wish the family and did not. Nor did they advise us contact had not been made.”
While this family prepares to bury their loved one, they are demanding an apology from a company they say their mother loved.
“We’re just searching for answers and we shouldn’t have to search which is what’s hurting right now,” said Keion Franklin, Woodard’s son.
Pathfinder’s CEO promised a statement to KARK 4 News,but a statement was not provided by the time this story aired.
Woodard was 69-years-old.
