TRUE CRIME NEWSAssisted Living Nightmare: Body of Resident Found 'Badly Decomposed' After Being Left Undiscovered and Rotting for 9 Days
Felipe Dip was found dead inside his assisted living facility room in July 2023.
June 22 2026, Published 2:33 p.m. ET
A Massachusetts assisted living facility is facing explosive allegations after a resident's decomposing body was reportedly left undiscovered for more than a week.
The family of 64-year-old Felipe Dip has filed a lawsuit against Chestnut Park at Cleveland Circle in Brighton, its parent company, Benchmark Senior Living LLC, and an unidentified employee, claiming staff failed to notice numerous warning signs before his death was discovered.
Resident Allegedly Went Missing for Days
A lawsuit alleges Felipe Dip's body went undiscovered for approximately nine days.
According to the lawsuit filed in Suffolk County Superior Court, Dip was found dead in his room on July 21, 2023, per Law & Crime.
Attorneys for his family allege he had been deceased for approximately nine days before staff discovered him.
"The combination of Felipe Dip's prolonged and repeated failure to appear for meals and the nine-day absence of any motion in his room provided the Defendants with ample and repeated notice that Felipe Dip required immediate attention," the lawsuit states.
Staff Allegedly Missed Repeated Warning Signs
Family members claim staff failed to investigate after Felipe Dip missed roughly 27 meals.
The lawsuit claims Dip missed approximately 27 scheduled meals over a nine-day period.
According to court filings, facility protocol required staff to conduct welfare checks when residents failed to appear for meals.
Attorneys also allege Dip's room was equipped with motion sensors, which reportedly detected no movement after July 12, 2023.
Despite those alleged warning signs, the suit claims no welfare checks were conducted before staff ultimately discovered his body.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
'Body Was Badly Decomposed'
Attorneys claim Felipe Dip's body was 'badly decomposed' when it was finally discovered.
By the time workers entered Dip's room, the lawsuit alleges his remains had significantly deteriorated.
"By that time, his body was badly decomposed," attorney Thomas E. Flaws of Altman Nussbaum Shunnarah wrote in the complaint. "Felipe Dip's body had been decomposing in his room, undiscovered, for approximately nine days."
Flaws argues the facility "owed a duty of reasonable care" to monitor Dip's well-being, conduct welfare checks and respond to signs he may have been in distress.
Facility Pushes Back Against Claims
Felipe Dip's sons are suing the facility, its parent company and an unidentified employee.
Dip's sons are also seeking damages for negligent infliction of emotional distress, alleging the circumstances surrounding their father's death caused severe emotional suffering.
"The Defendants' negligent failure to monitor, check on, or otherwise attend to Felipe Dip for a period of approximately nine days ... was conduct so far beyond the bounds of reasonable care as to foreseeably cause severe emotional distress to members of Felipe Dip's immediate family," the lawsuit states.
Benchmark Senior Living has denied the allegations.
"The health and safety of our residents is our top priority. Though we cannot comment fully on the merits of active litigation, we strongly disagree with the description of the events and allegations contained in the lawsuit and will defend against them," the company said in a statement.
Flaws said the family is seeking accountability.
"Mr. Dip was entrusted to the care of an assisted living facility that families rely on to keep their loved ones safe," he said. "The family deserves answers, and we intend to pursue them through the legal process."
