Headlines

Woman Was Dead in Belk Department Store Bathroom for 4 Days

Criminal charges could be filed

Published

1 year ago

September 21, 2022

VMSD Staff

A 63-year-old woman named Bessie Durham, a janitor who worked at the Belk department store in Columbia, S.C., was dead in the store’s public bathroom for four days before she was found, the WIS 10 news station reports.

Surveillance footage showed her entering the bathroom on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 7 a.m. and did not show her exiting, according to the article. Her body wasn’t found until the evening of Monday, Sept. 19.

Police are investigating why Durham wasn’t discovered sooner. Criminal charges are a possibility.

Deputy Chief Melron Kelly of the Columbia Police Department told the outlet, “We’re still working with the store to find out what their process is to closing down the store, inspecting the store and things of that nature.”

Belk issued the following statement:

“First and foremost, we send our deepest condolences to the family of the housekeeping associate who was employed by KBS, which provides cleaning services at our Columbiana Centre location. At this time, we are working with KBS to determine the details around what happened. We have also made counselors available to Belk and KBS associates seeking support.”

Read more at WIS.

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