The household of an aged man in Miami is looking for solutions after they are saying he disappeared at a nursing facility and his physique was allegedly present in a closet on the facility.
The household of Elin Etienne instructed NBC News and native media shops WPLG and WSVN that the 71-year-old was admitted to the nursing middle on Aug. 14 as he recovered from a mind aneurysm. Every week later, his household instructed the shops that they obtained a name from a employees member saying that he was lacking.
Once they reached out to the nursing residence, per NBC Information, they had been instructed that Etienne had “checked himself out.” Nevertheless, when the household mentioned they requested the nursing residence to confirm the person’s signature, they reportedly refused, prompting them to file a lacking particular person’s report.
The North Miami Police Division issued a “lacking susceptible grownup” alert on social media on Aug. 23 for Etienne. Police famous that the aged man was final seen the day prior within the space of the power, North Dade Nursing and Rehabilitation Heart, at round 2 p.m. native time sporting a inexperienced shirt and blue shorts.
The police didn’t present an replace on social media. The division later confirmed to NBC Information that an individual was discovered useless on the middle, although they didn’t verify whether or not it was Etienne. Police confirmed to WSVN that the physique was present in a storage closet.
The aged man’s household mentioned on Monday, Sept. 2, they had been knowledgeable about his loss of life. His niece Kimberly Etienne alleged to NBC Information, “A detective got here … and mentioned that he was present in a closet, decomposed to the purpose of no recognition.”
“We thought that he went lacking, we by no means anticipated him to be useless within the nursing residence,” Etienne’s granddaughter Ruth Keisha Etienne added to WSVN.
The household mentioned that Elin had been scheduled to be on the facility for 12 weeks to bear rehabilitation and bodily remedy, however they’re now planning his funeral and trying to find solutions into how his loss of life occurred.
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The North Miami Police Division and North Dade Nursing and Rehabilitation Heart didn’t instantly reply to PEOPLE’s request for remark.
In an announcement to WPLG and WSVN, North Dade Nursing and Rehabilitation Heart mentioned that their “ideas and condolences” exit “to the relations affected by this devastating occasion.”
“Our crew is cooperating totally with the suitable authorities, together with legislation enforcement and our state regulatory companions,” the nursing facility continued. “We’re compassionate caregivers, and that may assist get us by means of this tough expertise. On the similar time, we stay dedicated to making sure our residents proceed receiving the high-quality care they’ve come to count on from our facility.”
Elin’s household instructed NBC Information their cherished one, who was a chef, can be remembered as somebody who was “loving” and “selfless.”
“There’s no such factor as him coming round and never lighting up a room with a joke, with laughter, with humor,” his niece Kimberly instructed the outlet. “He was simply an sincere particular person, and this isn’t the best way we needed to ship him off.”
