Bank employee found dead at her desk after police said she was left there for four days
The body of a woman sat at her desk for four days after she passed away at work, police have said.
Denise Prudhomme died while she was at work at Well Fargo in Tempe, Arizona, and a cause of death has not yet been published.
Questions are now being asked as to how her body was not found sitting at her desk until four days later.
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Tempe police have confirmed to 12News that Prudhomme was last recorded as having scanned into her place of work at 7am on August 16.
She was not recorded as having scanned out of the building after that.
Security working in the building called emergency services to the scene after they discovered the 60-year-old at her desk, unresponsive.
Police have since said that Prudhomme was found slumped at her desk in a cubicle.
A colleague found her there on third floor of the building, with her office cubicle being away from the main aisle.
Other people working in the building had begun to complain of a bad smell which had been developing in the office.
However, the odour was explained as being the result of faulty plumbing, when in fact it was the body beginning to decay.
Authorities have said that while some employees do work from home security should have found Prudhomme's body sooner than they did.
Speaking to 12 News an employee at Wells Fargo, who has not been named, described how the tragedy had left them reeling.
They told the outlet: “It’s really heartbreaking and I’m thinking, ‘What if I were just sitting there?' No one would check on me?”
Police have confirmed that they do not believe any foul play was involved in Prudhomme's death, and she is believed to have passed away as a result of natural causes.
The employee also added that they have been left disturbed by the lack of information from Fargo Wells.
They said: “That’s the scary part. That’s the uneasy part. It’s negligence in some part. I’m just wondering why they didn’t formally address employees about it?"
Wells Fargo has since issued a statement to 12News in the wake of the tragedy.
In the statement, a spokesperson for Well Fargo said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague at our Tempe office. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones during this difficult time."
The bank added that they are 'fully cooperating' with authorities in an investigation into the death of their employee.
A spokesperson for Wells Fargo told UNILAD: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague, Denise Prudhomme. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones, and we are in contact to ensure they are well supported during this difficult time. We are committed to the safety and wellness of our workforce. Counselors are available to support any employees impacted by this event.”
Kit Roberts