Fatality In Former Friendly’s Lot Under Investigation: Follow-Up

CONCORD, NH — An incident originally believed to be an apparent fatal overdose in a downtown parking lot may be connected to other medical issues after an autopsy was performed on the woman who died.

Concord fire and rescue teams and police were sent to Franklin Street on Wednesday night for a report of a woman who was believed to be overdosing and died later at Concord Hospital. According to witnesses, the woman was seen passed out and hanging out of the vehicle in the parking lot of the former Friendly’s Restaurant at North Main Street. Police, earlier in the evening, had received a report of a suspicious vehicle in the same area. Later, they realized it was the same car from the previous call.

EMTs and firefighters arrived first and began CPR. The first responding officer said there were items strewn around the parking lot but no obvious drug paraphernalia. The woman, 49, also had a lit cigarette in her hand, the officer said later. Backup officers arrived as firefighters gave the woman 2 milligrams of Narcan and took her to Concord Hospital. The officer followed EMTs to the hospital.

Around 9:15 p.m., the officer reported to dispatch that hospital staff was “calling it.”

A second officer went to the hospital to help identify the woman. Her identity was confirmed as a woman in her late 40s and confirmed her identity due to her sex offender registration. She was convicted of multiple child sexual assault and endangerment charges in 2009 in the eastern part of New Hampshire.

News 603 posted a video on Facebook of fire and police at the scene.

Police sent the evidence technician rig to the scene to investigate the scene. They also went to the South End home of the woman to gather evidence.

The medical examiner was also requested and agreed to examine the woman but requested the body be moved to the morgue. The body was moved after 11 p.m.

On Thursday afternoon, the vehicle was still in the parking lot. Police were called on Thursday for comment about the case but were unavailable.

On Friday, Deputy Chief John Thomas of the Concord Police Department said the state’s medical examiner’s office was “not ruling it an overdose at this time.” He said, during an autopsy, “they saw other medical issues,” but did not specify what those issues were. However, “they will be awaiting the toxicology report,” Thomas said. The report will not be available for a while, he added.

Family members of the woman, who reached out to Patch about the case, stated the medical examiner told them she died due to blood clots in her legs that traveled to her heart.

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