Hospital Horror as Families Say Bodies Were Left to Rot, Organs Removed Without Consent

Several grieving families in California are suing Dignity Health, claiming their loved ones died in the hospital — and were never notified, mishandled, or even mutilated afterward.

The lawsuits, filed across the state, accuse the healthcare giant of horrifying misconduct, including failing to tell families their relatives had died, allowing bodies to rot in storage for months, and even removing organs without consent. Law&Crime reviewed multiple cases, all of which are still ongoing.

One of the most disturbing cases involves 31-year-old Jessie Peterson, a diabetic patient who was admitted to Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Sacramento in April 2023. Just two days later, she was dead — but her family had no idea.

According to the lawsuit, Peterson called her mother on April 8 asking to be picked up, but her mom encouraged her to stay and rest. Less than two hours later, Peterson suffered cardiac arrest and died. Her family was never told. In fact, they were told she had checked herself out of the hospital against medical advice.

Peterson’s body was placed in cold storage and left there for a year. It wasn’t until April 2024 that detectives told the family her corpse had been in the hospital the whole time. By then, her body was so decomposed her tattoos weren’t recognizable, and her family couldn’t have an open-casket funeral.

Another lawsuit involves Tonya Walker, a 51-year-old mother of four. Despite her personal struggles, she was in regular contact with her family — until she suddenly stopped responding in early November 2023. Her loved ones reported her missing not knowing she had already died at Dignity Health’s Mercy General Hospital.

Her body was allegedly transferred to a mortuary without notice and left there for seven months. When the family finally tracked her down in May 2024, they were horrified by what they saw. According to the lawsuit, Walker’s eyes and skin appeared to have been surgically removed. Her family believes her organs were harvested without consent.

In a third case, Michael Gray died of an overdose at Mercy San Juan Medical Center in July 2022. He had identification, a wallet, a phone — yet was labeled a John Doe. The hospital claimed a chaplain tried to notify the family but had called the wrong number and left no message. For a month, Gray’s body sat in offsite storage without an autopsy or preservation. Only after the sheriff’s office got involved was the coroner finally called.

In each case, the deceased had valid IDs and addresses on file, but their families were never told they had passed away. Peterson’s lawsuit says Dignity Health “failed in its most fundamental duty” — to inform a family their daughter had died.

Michael Gray’s case was quietly settled. The others are still playing out in court. Dignity Health declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.

For families already grieving, these lawsuits raise chilling questions: What really happened behind hospital doors? And how many others don’t even know their loved ones are gone.