Former TV reporter dies 36 hours after flu diagnosis

CLEVELAND, Ohio (KTRK) -- A former TV news reporter passed away suddenly after being diagnosed with the flu, her former station FOX 8 in Cleveland reported.

A statement on the station's website reads, in part:

"We are heartbroken to share with you the news that our beloved, former colleague and friend, Kathleen Cochrane DePiero, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday after a brief illness. Our FOX 8 family learned of her passing Sunday morning. Kathleen, 38, was a valued, outstanding reporter for our station starting in 2005, until she decided to step away to be a full-time mom to her children several years later."

Kathleen Cochrane DePiero was just 38 years old.

Spectrum News Charlotte, where DePiero also worked, reported the autopsy showed the cause of death was most likely the flu leading to pneumonia and sepsis.

The report said she died just 36 hours after she first showed signs of being sick.

According to her obituary, DePiero passed away Dec. 30.

She worked in television news as a reporter in West Virginia, North Carolina, and Ohio.

DePiero left the industry to stay home full time with her children.