A North Miami nursing home is under investigation after Elin Etienne, a 71-year-old resident, was found deceased inside a facility closet. Etienne, who was recuperating from a stroke and an aneurysm, had been reported missing since August 22. According to NBC6, his family was told he had self-discharged, leading to a missing person's report filed by the North Miami Police Department.
Amidst claims from his family that Etienne was also suffering from dementia, the North Dade Nursing and Rehabilitation Center stated he was not diagnosed with the condition, which his family disputes. An anonymous call later informed the family that Etienne's remains were located, identified by his wristband. According to a WSVN report, the family was notified by an insider about the discovery of Etienne's body, found in what was described as a storage room or a library.
Police are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding Etienne's death, as the family anxiously waits for answers about what led to their loved one's demise, and the duration he remained undiscovered at the facility. With their grief compounded by a lack of communication from the nursing home's administrators, the family fears Etienne may have suffered and died alone, possibly without essential sustenance or his medication. "That's horrifying because that means he died alone and he died suffering," Rivly Bruce, Etienne's niece, told WSVN.
Outside of the North Dade Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, friends and family of Etienne gathered chanting for justice. His niece, Rivly Breus, shared with CBS News Miami their disbelief and demand for clarity, saying, "We still have to find out if he was put in the closet." The nursing center staff has since declined to comment on the situation, offering no explanation for the tragic events that unfolded within their care.
