Man, 75, Was Likely Dead at Least 3 Days Before Niece Found Him During Retirement Home Visit: ‘Looked Like a Skeleton in a Chair’

A 75-year-old man is believed to have been dead for multiple days before a relative found him during a visit to the independent living facility in Arizona, where he stayed.

Gerald McClellan was found unresponsive in his chair when his niece, Angela Boorn, came to visit him at LifeStream at Sun City on Oct. 16, according to local outlet AZ Family. Staff had allegedly failed to check on the man, whom she describes as her “second father,” in his studio apartment at the facility for multiple days.

Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies confirmed to Boorn that he likely died three to four days before 911 was eventually called.

“It looked like a skeleton in a chair,” Boorn recalled of finding her uncle, per AZ Family. “The face, the eyes were hollowed out.”

McClellan moved into LifeStream at Sun City in January after his wife died, Boorn told the outlet. “I promised my aunt that I would take care of him when she passed away,” she said.

She had felt “comfortable” with her uncle moving into the facility after learning that there was a safety system in place to ensure that residents would be regularly checked on.

She was allegedly told that all residents must push a button to signal to staff they are alright “every day by 10 a.m.,” otherwise a staff member was “supposed to reach out” and check on the residents, per AZ Family.

When McClellan failed to push the button, the staff didn’t check on him for “four” days, according to Boorn.

“He didn’t push the button; they tried to call him, didn’t get a hold of him and still did not go check on him,” she said, per AZ Family. “I just remember running out of the room and running to the front desk and just asking her when was the last time you checked on him.”

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“Nobody should have to see that. It didn’t even look like a person because he had been there for so long,” added Boorn.

In a statement obtained by AZ Family, LifeStream at Sun City said they are “deeply saddened by the passing of one of our residents. Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to their family and loved ones during this difficult time. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we are not sharing further details at this time.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to emergency responders for their compassion, professionalism, and support,” they added.

LifeStream at Sun City and MCSO did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further comment.