Fallout from death of delusional woman comes to light five years late.
Managers at this Philadelphia Housing Authority development knew that Mildred Barnes was delusional. They also knew she was stubborn and wanted to stay in her home of 39 years, one that was slated for demolition.
But crews failed to make sure her building was empty before the excavator’s metal claw tore it into rubble.
Barnes died alone at the age of 65, buried under a mountain of steel, stone and rubble in what was the only refuge that looked familiar to her. PHA workers didn’t realise their fatal error until the next morning, July 15, 2005, when they arrived with a backhoe to chop up the debris.
The family of Mildred Barnes filed suit against PHA, and on the eve of the trial, in July 2008, relatives settled with PHA for $115,000.
But PHA’s Board of Commissioners was never told of the settlement, according to an internal report presented to the board last month. Mildred Barnes’ death, if widely known, would have put a blemish on PHA’s national success story of sprucing up public housing. But, according to website philly.com, former PHA Executive Director Carl R. Greene wanted nothing to taint his legacy.
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