Autopsy says Texas mum found dead in a parking lot died from overheating in car after drinking

Chrissy Powell, 39, was last seen alive rushing from her San Antonio home on 5 July

Chrissy Powell, 39, hadn’t been seen for more than two weeks before her body was found in a car in a mall parking lot . (Facebook/Lauren Perez)

A Texas woman who was found dead in her parked vehicle almost three weeks after she vanished from her home died from overheating after drinking inside it, authorities said.

Chrissy Powell, 39, was last seen rushing from her San Antonio home on 5 July, leaving her phone, Apple Watch, and vital medication behind.

She never arrived at her job as a paralegal and was not seen again until 23 July, when a security guard at a San Antonio shopping centre noticed a suspicious car that had been parked in the mall lot for a week.

He approached the vehicle, noticed a foul odour, and saw a body in the front passenger seat, authorities said. When police were notified, they found Ms Powell’s purse and identification with her body.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office told MySA.com that Ms Powell’s cause of death was hyperthermia complicating ethanol intoxication, meaning she essentially overheated in her car after drinking too much. Temperatures in San Antonio regularly hit triple digits during the summer months.

Ms Powell was a mother of two boys. The site where her car was found was located just a few miles from her home and the law office where she worked.

Her mother, Claudia A Mobley, confirmed her death on Facebook on 25 July, writing: “My beautiful daughter, Christina Powell, has been found, deceased. I am heartbroken. Thank you all for your prayers.”