The family accuses Denver Housing Authority for the death of the senior in the humid apartment

The family of a woman who died during the extreme heat in her apartment of the Denver Housing Authority sues the agency and claims negligence to react to her repeated symptoms about her air conditioning system.

The 68 -year -old Shirlyne Johnson was found dead two years ago in her unit on the sixth floor of Thomas Bean Towers – a public residential complex for seniors in Denver. According to the lawsuit, the temperature in her apartment was over 120 degrees.

Her daughter Latrisse Johnson says that the family still has difficulty processing the loss.

“I couldn't see my mother when we did funeral services,” she said. “It was decomposed.”

In the lawsuit it is claimed that Johnson, who had already had a stipulated health, has repeatedly requested the maintenance to remedy her faulty HLK system, which, according to the lawsuit, had pumped into her apartment for days.

“Your complaint was: 'My air conditioning does not work' and if you had taken the time to see what the problem was, in my opinion it could have saved my mother's life,” said Latrisse.

The Denver Housing Authority managed The Thomas Bean Towers. The lawsuit claims that the agency did not react in time and appropriately to maintenance inquiries and ultimately led to Johnson's death.

The autopsy report cited in the lawsuit showed several factors in Johnson's death, which “was complicated by exposure to increased environmental temperature”. Your body temperature was recorded at 111 degrees at the time of death.

“It could have been a simple solution,” said Latrisse. “I need the Denver Housing Authority to be responsible for their actions. I don't want other residents or disabled older people to go through what my mother has gone through.”

In a statement to CBS News Colorado, the Denver Housing Authority said:
“Although we cannot comment on the open legal proceedings at this time, our mission continues to focus on providing a safe, stable living space and the support of the communities that we serve.”

Latrisse Johnson says that the statement does not reflect the experience of her family.

“The housing authority has to do better,” she said.

A judge now decides whether the lawsuit can progress or whether DHA is protected according to Colorados Governmental Immunity Act. This decision could take several months.