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Woman dies after injecting hot beef fat into face

September 9, 2011 11:31AM

A Homewood woman died Thursday after apparently injecting heated beef fat into her face at her south suburban home.

Janet Hardt, 63, was pronounced dead at 6:25 p.m. at Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

A source said shortly before Hardt died she injected heated beef fat into her face around her mouth and chin, which she had done before on several occasions.

An autopsy Friday determined Hardt died of peritonitis, a severe abdominal inflammation caused by a bacterial infection suffered because of weakened walls in her colon, according to the medical examiner’s office. Infections she suffered in her face from the injections did not lead to her death, which was ruled natural, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Hardt went to the hospital after complaining that her face became singed and felt like it was burning, according to the source.

She has previously undergone multiple facial surgeries, the source said.

An autopsy to determine the cause and manner of her death is scheduled for later Friday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Homewood spokeswoman Rachael Jones would not confirm or deny the medial examiner’s office reports and said police were waiting for the results of the autopsy before releasing any information.