Woman Finds Uncle’s Decomposing Body in Senior Facility, Claims Staff Ignored Him for Days

An Arizona woman says she’s living a nightmare after walking into her elderly uncle’s assisted living apartment—only to find his “hollowed-out” body slumped in a chair, apparently dead for days while staff allegedly did nothing.

Angela Boorn, of Waddell, said she had visited her 75-year-old uncle, Gerald McClellan, nearly every week since he moved into LifeStream at Sun City in January, shortly after losing his wife. But on October 16, what should have been a routine visit turned into something out of a horror film.

“When I walked in and said, ‘Uncle, I’m here,’ I expected him to answer like he always did,” Boorn told AZ Family. “Instead, it was silence. Then I saw him—and it looked like a skeleton in a chair. His face, his eyes—they were gone. Nobody should ever see their loved one like that.”

McClellan, a retired contractor and longtime Arizona resident, had been living alone in his studio apartment. Boorn said she trusted the $1,700-a-month senior facility to ensure his safety, believing their daily wellness checks and alert systems would prevent exactly this kind of tragedy.

“They told me every resident has a daily check-in button,” Boorn said. “If it’s not pressed by 10 a.m., a staff member is supposed to go check in person. They didn’t. They called, didn’t get an answer, and still didn’t go check. Four days passed.”

Authorities later confirmed McClellan had likely been dead for three to four days before staff at LifeStream finally called 911. By then, decomposition had set in so severely that Boorn said she barely recognized her uncle.

“He didn’t deserve to die like that,” she said through tears. “He served his community, paid his rent on time, and trusted these people. I feel like I failed him.”

LifeStream at Sun City issued a brief statement saying, “LifeStream at Sun City is deeply saddened by the passing of one of our residents. Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to their family and loved ones during this difficult time. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we are not sharing further details.”

But Boorn said condolences aren’t enough. “They left him to die,” she said. “And then they left him there.”

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, assisted and independent living facilities are required to have safety protocols to check on residents daily. The agency has not yet said whether it will launch an investigation into LifeStream’s conduct.

Neighbors of the facility told local reporters that management turnover and understaffing have been ongoing problems. One resident said, “We’ve been complaining for months. You press your button and nobody shows up.”

Boorn is now pushing for state oversight and accountability. “This can’t happen to another family,” she said. “No one should be forgotten in a place that’s supposed to care for them.”