The cause of death for a Wells Fargo employee who was tragically found dead at her desk has been revealed.
On August 20, the body of 60-year-old Denise Prudhomme was discovered at her third-floor desk at the company’s office in Tempe, Arizona.
As reported by PEOPLE, police statements confirm that her body was found by on-site security personnel.
Per NBC affiliate KPNX, an unnamed employee claimed to have smelled a “foul odor” in the workplace, but “passed it off as faulty plumbing”.
Tempe Police revealed in a statement that Prudhomme had clocked into the building on Friday, August 16 at approximately 7:00AM.
“There is no further scan in or out,” authorities confirmed.
Following the tragic discovery, Wells Fargo released a statement to USA Today explaining that Prudhomme had been sitting in a “very underpopulated area” of the office when she passed away.
Despite most employees working remotely, the building still has 24/7 security on-site.
The company said in its statement: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague, Denise Prudhomme. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones, and we are in contact to ensure they are well supported during this difficult time.
“We are committed to the safety and wellness of our workforce. Counselors are available to support any employees impacted by this event.”
However, the company’s comments were not well-received by a union that represents Wells Fargo workers, who slammed the company for allowing Prudhomme’s death to go “unnoticed” for so long.
After it was revealed that Prudhomme – a Business Execution Consultant in Corporate Banking – was “the only person on her team in Tempe”, The Arizona Republic, the union claimed: “This may be one of the reasons why her desk was located in an underpopulated area in the building and nobody checked on her for four days.”
“Wells Fargo monitors our every move and keystroke using remote, electronic technologies… however, Denise went unnoticed at her desk for four days,” the statement from the union continued.
And in a statement to PEOPLE, the union’s organizing director confirmed that Prudhomme was not a member of the union at the time of her death, but added: “The contradictory nature of electronic surveillance versus an unnoticed death sheds light on the reality of what it means to be a worker at Wells Fargo.”
Now, the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner has confirmed to PEOPLE that Prudhomme died of a “sudden cardiac death in the setting of myocardial fibrosis” – a condition regarding the scarring of the heart muscles.
“Sudden cardiac death is the swift and not expected ending of all heart activity. Breathing and blood flow stop right away. Within seconds, the person is not conscious and dies,” per the Mayo Clinic.
In their initial statement, Tempe Police said “the preliminary investigation did not show any obvious signs of foul play” regarding Prudhomme’s death, and the Medical Examiner has also listed her death as natural.
PEOPLE reports that it once again reached out to Wells Fargo for a statement regarding the union’s comments, and were once again told that they were “deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague”.
The company also encouraged staff “with specific concerns” to “share their feedback” in an effort to help Wells Fargo “build a stronger company”.
Our thoughts go out to Prudhomme’s family and loved ones at this time.
