INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Carolyn Robinson: Family Of Atlanta Woman Found Dead In Westin Hotel Freezer Is Now Suing For Unspecified Damages

By Angela Woods
Published on: 03:39 PST, Mar 30, 2016

The family of Carolyn Robinson, the 61-year-old Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel kitchen employee recently found dead in one of the hotel’s walk-in freezers, has retained the services of a law firm and is suing the hotel for unspecified damages. Robinson’s body was found in the freezer on March 22 around 9 a.m. after her family contacted the hotel when she did not come home that evening after her shift ended.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, she was seen on surveillance video entering the freezer alone on the night prior to her body being found at around 8 p.m. Investigators estimate that she was trapped inside the freezer for roughly 13 hours before being discovered.

The Witherspoon Law Group issued a news release on March 27 to selected members of the press that confirms that they have been retained in the matter. In it, they specify that evidence indicates that Robinson attempted to free herself from the freezer.

“The Injuries to Carolyn Robinson’s Left and Right Hands are Consistent with a Person Suffering and Struggling to Escape Imminent Death”

The release also adds the following.

“Carolyn Robinson is not alive to tell her side of the story. However, the significant and graphic injuries to Carolyn Robinson’s right and left hands tell of a woman’s desperate struggle to escape imminent death. The photographs of her hands speak for themselves. The family is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.”

This assertion is in response to the Westin’s official statement about the incident through hotel spokeswoman Sally McDonald, as told to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that between last Tuesday and Wednesday, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Atlanta Medical Examiner, and Atlanta Equipment Services (an independent manufacturer representative) had performed tests on the freezer’s safety exit mechanism and found that in 30 functional tests conducted over five separate occasions that the freezer’s device worked properly on each occasion.

Atlanta Equipment Services describes the results of their testing.

“Inside the freezer, the push button handle allowed access out of the freezer with ease.”

In the press release, Nuru Witherspoon, Chief Executive Officer of the law firm, stated that Robinson’s dying in the walk-in on the frozen floor with her heart and lungs slowly and painfully freezing speaks for itself. He continued that it also speaks volumes about the Westin’s management team, their walk-in freezer safety training, and whether the device actually did indeed “function perfectly” on March 21. Witherspoon finally stated that the same management team that sent her into the freezer did not search for her until 13 hours later and that that effort also speaks for itself.

Carolyn Robinson was a resident of East Point, Georgia, and had been employed with the Westin for approximately 35 years. At the time of her passing, she held the position of cook.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office has not yet issued an official cause of death. ABC News indicates that the autopsy will determine if any type of medical condition contributed to Robinson’s inability to exit the freezer.

Westin spokeswoman McDonald declined to comment on the legal matter but spoke positively of Robinson and said that she was a valued employee and a kind person.

“This is a tragedy.”

Other co-workers also spoke fondly of her, as reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, referring to her as “a friendly lady” who spoke to everybody. They said that everybody knew her and everybody loved her.

The Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel is one of Atlanta’s most prominent visual attractions due to its height and cylindrical shape. The 73-story skyscraper is located in the Peachtree street area of downtown Atlanta.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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