The woman was not dressed for the weather and was not wearing shoes when she was discovered, Birk said. The woman lived about a half-mile from the high school.
Birk said it is believed the woman, who lived alone on Fisher Road in Franklin Twp., may have wandered off about 2 a.m. Family members of the woman found the door to her residence open when they checked on her Wednesday and contacted the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. Birk said the family had checked on her on Tuesday.
Mike DeBorde, Warren County Coroner’s chief investigator, said the woman was found at the school wearing night clothes and socks. He said no foul play is suspected in the death.
He said the freezing temperatures may have confused her as hypothermia may have set in.
The Warren County Coroner’s Office took her body to Hamilton County, where an autopsy was to be performed on Thursday.
Temperatures were dangerously cold Wednesday morning in Middletown, going as low as 2 degrees in the city. Wind chill values were as low as minus 10 overnight, which prompted the National Weather Service to issue a wind chill advisory for some parts of the Miami Valley.
“This is a very sad situation and people need to check on their family and friends during this type of weather,” Birk said.
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