'Barely alive' worker goes unnoticed for 5 days
A computer specialist died after having a stroke in his University of Southern Maine office and not being discovered until five days later.
David Norton of Portland was barely alive when police found him Oct. 10. He died Oct. 15 at Maine Medical Center.
His mother, Linda Norton, says he had a stroke the Friday before Columbus Day weekend and was found in his locked office by USM police the following Wednesday after a co-worker reported he’d missed a meeting and couldn’t be reached.
Norton’s mother has asked USM to develop a policy where USM police would check offices every day. University officials say they’re reviewing school policies to determine if changes are warranted.
The 45-year-old Norton worked for the University of Maine System and had an office at USM.