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St. Louis, MO (KMOV) — Gertie Carroll, says she’s processing the news about her 33-year-old son, former East St. Louis boxing champ, Lovely Rooster Jefferson.
He died last week at the Chester Mental Health Center.
“They sent him back in a bag to me,” said Carroll.
Unable to grieve because she says they weren’t notified for until a full day after his death.
Carroll says she called the center last Thursday after her son sounded different during a phone call earlier that week.
But the next day she got a call from staff stating he’d died on Thursday.
“If my child died Thursday, why didn’t they tell me Thursday,” said Carroll.
To make matters worse, Carroll says she received conflicting voicemails from state officials saying the autopsy would be done in Randolph County. Hours later she got a call saying it was actually being done in O’Fallon, Illinois.
The State of Illinois sent the following statement:
While privacy laws bar us from talking about specific cases, our condolences and thoughts go out to families of our patients who have passed away. When this happens, we notify family as soon as possible. The local coroner is contacted to determine if an autopsy is necessary. The coroner then coordinates directly with the family to decide how to handle funeral or cremation services. The family has the right to decide if they would like an additional autopsy or where and how they would like to put their loved one to rest.
Carroll says the third blow was finding out he was moved to a funeral home in Sparta where she was told it would cost her to bring him home.
“I had to give her $700 before she would let the funeral home move my child’s body,” said Carroll.
The Carrolls say they plan on taking legal action.
Jefferson leaves behind two children.
News 4 asked if the situation was being investigated but is waiting to hear back.
News 4 Investigated this facility a year ago after claims from employees that they don’t feel safe on the job.
The facility is the state’s only maximum security mental health facility.
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