A 57-year-old woman who planned to move to a warmer climate was found outside her St. Paul apartment earlier this week, apparently after freezing to death.
Joyce Waterston was discovered shortly before 8 a.m. Monday near Cleveland and Yorkshire avenues.
"We're all baffled," said her sister, Janice Dennie, who was told Wednesday by authorities that Waterston's death was due to the cold.
It's not clear how long Waterston had been outside and what she was doing, her sister said. It will take another month or two before reports are finalized, she said.
St. Paul police said earlier in the week that authorities believed Waterston had died from medical complications, but Dennie said that she didn't believe Waterston had any medical problems that would have led to her death. She was appropriately dressed for the weather, said Sgt. Paul Paulos, a spokesman for the St. Paul Police Department.
Dennie said she thinks something must have happened that kept her from getting help. Dennie was told by authorities that no foul play was suspected.
Dennie said her sister had two adult sons and worked as a manager at La Fonda de Los Lobos restaurant in Eagan. She was very outgoing, loved to read and was a good cook, Dennie said.
Dennie said Waterston had planned to move to a warmer climate next year.
