Rose Lee Diggs

An elderly woman who had been reported missing from UPMC Montefiore yesterday was found dead on the roof of the Oakland facility this morning.

Pittsburgh police identified the woman as Rose Lee Diggs, 89.

She suffered from dementia and heart problems.

At about 5 p.m. yesterday the hospital reported that she was missing from her room.

Police and the hospital staff had searched the facility since Ms. Diggs' disappearance. Police said at a press conference this afternoon that they were told the search included the roof.

Around 8 a.m. today, a maintenance worker found a door opened to the roof and Ms. Diggs' body lying nearby. She still was dressed only in a hospital gown and slippers, a hospital spokesman said. Attempts to revive her were unsuccessful.

An alarm on a fire door failed to sound when Ms. Diggs used it on her hospital floor, according to city police Lt. Kevin Kraus.

Ms. Diggs apparently left her room, 30 feet from a nurses' station, and then went through the fire exit. She then walked up two flights of stairs and entered a boiler room. She went through another door and onto the roof of the 12th floor.

Police said this afternoon there was not a lock on the door to the roof and that Ms. Diggs could have gone back inside. She also had slight bruising and cuts on her forehead that appeared to be from a fall.

Police said it was unclear how long she was outside but the medical examiner has indicated it was likely most of the night. A cause of death has not yet been announced.

Lt. Kraus said police still have more interviews to conduct and would consult with the district attorney's office on whether any charges would be filed.

In a statement released today, the hospital said it was saddened by the death and was working with police.