Following the death of a Kingdom Manor personal care home resident in Canonsburg over the weekend, authorities today are closing the facility and relocating its nine residents.

A Department of Public Welfare spokeswoman said the state already had planned to shut down the 23-bed home because of past problems, and incidents over the weekend have sped that process.

The Washington County coroner's office reported that Wayne E. Murphy, 60, a Kingdom Manor resident, was found dead Sunday evening at the bottom of an outdoor rear staircase of the Mount Olive Baptist Church. The church is across Greenside Avenue from Kingdom Manor.

An autopsy is yet to be completed on Mr. Murphy, and Canonsburg police are investigating the death. The coroner's office said he was reported missing at noon Saturday.

Welfare spokeswoman Stacey Witalec said the facility lost power over the weekend and failed to notify state officials. It also did not contact the welfare department about Mr. Murphy's death or that he had been reported missing on Saturday, she said.

She said DPW staff and representatives of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging, which covers Washington County, visited the home today to assist residents in finding new facilities. They have either been placed with other personal care home operators or put in the care of family members, Ms. Witalec said.

Reached by phone, a person who identified himself as the administrator of Kingdom Manor declined to discuss events of the weekend or to comment on the home's closure. He also declined to give his name.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.