Autopsy Shows That Prime Tyme Owner Died Of Hypothermia

A newly released autopsy report gives more details on the death of a Winston-Salem restaurant owner. 

Tonya Glenn Bess was found outside of Prime Tyme Soul Food Café on November 16th of last year.

According to an autopsy report released Wednesday, the 51-year-old Bess died of hypothermia while she was intoxicated on alcohol.

Bess's husband discovered his wife in the restaurant's parking lot a few hours before it was scheduled to open.  She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police originally declared her death suspicious in nature.

The autopsy report shows Bess had a high level of alcohol in her blood and indicates she had a history of chronic alcohol abuse.

It also says the clothing she was wearing “would have been inadequate for long exposure to the outside temperatures that night.”

The autopsy was performed by Dr. Mark Giffen, a Forsyth County medical examiner.