Houston grandma who froze to death victimized after her death

Monday, February 22, 2021

Family mourns beloved grandma who froze to deathA beloved 84-year-old grandmother froze to death overnight on Monday in her northeast Houston apartment without power or water, according to her family. As if that wasn't heartbreaking enough, the family said robbers ransacked their grandmother's apartment nearly a day after she died. Here's their story

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The family of a beloved 84-year-old grandmother who froze to death during the horrific winter storm is speaking out on the conditions of her death and hope to find who ransacked her apartment shortly after.

Mary Gee's granddaughter Nicale Spencer said police discovered Gee's body on Tuesday morning at her home at the Northshore Meadows apartment complex in northeast Houston.

Not even a day later, robbers reportedly broke into Gee's home and got away with a few of her belongings, her family said.

A medical examiner said Gee died of hypothermia, similar to other cases around the area.

A power crisis turned into a water crisis after a week of catastrophic winter storms.

"For somebody to freeze to death is... I'm always cold. So, just for that coldness to sit in my body that long for me to pass from it, that's just a hard way to go," said Spencer. "It's almost like suffering, and its just sad."

Gee's family said both the heat and power were shut off at her apartment overnight Monday.

"It bothers me deeply," said her stepdaughter Rachel Cook. "I mean, you don't know what happened to her within those hours."

Family members said they're still struggling to cope with her death.

And that's not the only issue this family has had to deal with. The family is also tasked with finding the robbers who got away with Gee's television, stereo, phone and her son's army badges.

"The stuff was just ransacked and thrown," explained Cook. "I really don't care about that stuff, I cared about her."

Funeral plans have been released for Gee.

Visitation services are planned for March 2 at noon and March 3 from 10 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. at Pruitt's in the Heights.

Also on March 3, a celebration of life will be held.

For more on services and sending flowers to the family, visit this page.

As of Sunday night, 22 people have died in the Houston area from weather related causes such as hypothermia and carbon monoxide poisoning.

As the weather crisis in Texas drew to a close in earnest, we're learning of the tragedies that came of the freezing temperatures. In the video, a Crosby woman talked to ABC13 in tears after her husband died in the midst of the disaster.

Twelve deaths are suspected to be weather related, but the medical examiner's office is still investigating.

Relatives say Etenesh Mersha was running her car in an attached garage in order to charge her cell phone when the family was overcome by carbon monoxide.

How you can help family of 3 children killed in Sugar Land house fire

A GoFundMe page was created after many reached out wanting to help. Part of the funds will be used to create a scholarship at St. Laurence Catholic School, where the siblings were enrolled.

Tony Buzbee and child's family sue ERCOT for over $100M after 11-year-old died during winter storm