She appeared to be recovering from a bad cough. Then she died in her sleep

Tuesday, 9 June 2026

A woman who lived in residential care died of an unexplained medical condition after recovering from a respiratory illness, a coroner has found.

Debra Shirley Jacobs, 52, was found dead in her bed in September 2023 after appearing to recover from a respiratory illness.

A coroner ruled her death was from natural causes but could not determine the exact cause, despite an inquest and competing medical opinions.

The investigation was launched after Jacobs’ sister challenged the original cause of death recorded by her GP, prompting a full coronial inquiry.

A woman with an intellectual disability who lived in residential care, died of an unexplained medical condition after recovering from a respiratory illness, a coroner has found.

Debra Shirley Jacobs, 52, died in her bed at her Napier home on September 14, 2023. An investigation into her death was ordered after her sister, Stephanie Salisbury, raised concerns that the cause of death recorded by her GP – a lower respiratory tract infection – was not factual, as no post-mortem examination had been performed.

Jacobs, who was born with Turner Syndrome and had an associated intellectual disability, lived in a residential home supported by Idea Services.

In written findings, Coroner Ian Telford concluded that the cause of Jacobs’ death had not been ascertained, but that she died of natural causes.

“Despite careful consideration of Debra’s health and her presentation in the period proximate to her death, I am unable to establish a cause of death,” the coroner said. “The inquiry, and in particular the inquest, canvassed a range of possible explanations. However, in my assessment, none have met the requisite standard of proof to enable me to make a finding.”

Jacobs, who was born with Turner Syndrome and had an associated intellectual disability, lived in a residential home supported by Idea Services. Her sister described her as someone who liked her independence, rode a bike and loved spending time with her cat, Panther.

The inquest heard that Jacobs developed a severe cough and head cold in late August 2023. She was reviewed by a GP, Dr Robert Harris, on September 4 and prescribed antibiotics and Flixonase. Care workers and Jacobs’ sister noted that her condition appeared to improve and stabilise over the following week, and Jacobs reported feeling better.

But on the morning of September 14, a care worker found Jacobs dead in her bed.

Medical experts at the inquest debated several potential causes of death. Another GP, Dr Johan Peters, argued that the most likely cause was an enlarged thyroid, or goitre, causing an upper airway obstruction. He pointed to a video Jacobs took of herself on September 9, in which all experts identified stridor, a high-pitched breathing sound indicating an obstructed airway.

Coroner Telford concluded that, on balance, the stridor was a temporary result of the respiratory infection that had resolved before her death, and that the goitre did not cause or contribute to her passing.

The court’s chief medical advisor, Dr Garry Clearwater, noted that individuals with Turner Syndrome have a three-fold increase in mortality compared to the general population, primarily due to cardiovascular conditions. He and Coroner Telford noted that Jacobs had a significant cardiac risk profile, including high blood pressure.

“Taking these factors into account, together with the well-recognised fact that coronary artery disease is a leading cause of sudden death in New Zealand, often occurring silently, I consider there to be a higher-than-average likelihood that coronary artery disease was a cause of, or contributory factor in, Debra's death,” Coroner Telford said.

The coroner examined the care provided by both Idea Services and Jacobs’ long-term general practice. He found that the care workers were attentive and knew Jacobs well, and that the medical advice provided by Dr Harris during the urgent consultation exceeded what could be considered reasonable.

The coroner made no formal recommendations or comments, concluding that no acts or omissions in her residential care or general practice caused or contributed to her death.

He praised Salisbury's efforts to ensure her sister’s death was investigated. “I have no doubt this has been motivated by their love for Debra and desire for her death to be properly honoured and scrutinised,” the coroner said.