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A 71-year-old man who went missing from a Florida nursing home has been found dead with his body “stuffed in a closet” according to his family.
Elin Etienne, was reported missing from North Dade Nursing and Rehab on August 22, where he had been admitted after suffering an aneurysm.
Family members told local news outlet Local News 10 that Etienne’s body had been left undiscovered for 12 days and was “so decomposed” he was unrecognizable. He was found on Monday. While police have yet to formally identify the body, family members confirmed his name to the media.
“He was stuffed in a closet the last 12 days,” said Kimberly Etienne, the 71-year-old’s niece. “The officer advised he was so decomposed that they couldn’t recognize him.”
She added: “He was only here temporarily for rehab, for a short stint and we brought him here alive, full of life, full of spirit and now he’s leaving in a body bag.”
The North Miami Police Department previously put out a missing persons notice online, saying that Etienne had last been seen in the area of the home wearing a green shirt and blue shorts.
“Mr Etienne may not be able to find his way home due to his condition,” the notice read. “If anyone has any information or sees Mr. Etienne, please contact the North Miami Police Department.”
The family says that they received a call from a nurse, who said that Etienne had signed a form to leave. “He couldn’t even feed himself,” Rivly Breus, Etienne’s niece, told Local News 10.
"We still have to find out if he was put in the closet," she added. "We just don’t know, and I don’t want that to happen to another patient."
Breus said her uncle was a loving man who migrated from Haiti more than 30 years ago, after which he became a chef and provided support for relatives also looking to make the move to the US.
Last year, Etienne suffered two strokes and developed dementia. He then suffered an aneurysm that caused him to lose his mobility and much of his cognitive functions, according to his family.
He was sent to North Dade Nursing and Rehab in hopes he might recover, and family members had felt comfortable with the staff, Breus told CBS News.
On Monday, family and friends gathered outside the facility chanting for justice. According to CBS, the center was closed and staff remembers refused to comment.
Police have said it was unclear how long the body was inside the facility and would not say where exactly it was found.
The Independent has reached out to North Dade Nursing and Rehab and the Miami Police Department for comment on the incident.
