BEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - Officials say a man found dead in Bedford hospital stairwell was discovered 20 yards from his room weeks after he went missing, and advocates for veterans are demanding more oversight.
The 62-year-old man was found by another resident on June 12 after being reported missing in May, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. The man was living in a part of the facility that is not operated by the Department of Veteran Affairs and Caritas Communities, which runs the facility, said it was “deeply saddened” in a statement.
“Caritas Communities is committed to the health and safety of our residents and follows strict protocols when a resident is discovered missing,” the statement read in part. “Caritas Communities is cooperating fully with the investigation… and is deeply saddened.”
The non-profit group offers housing to formerly homeless veterans and leases the space from the VA.
Investigators say the man was last seen May 8. Caritas Communities reported him missing May 13.
Another resident discovered him about five weeks later on June 12 in a stairwell about 20 yards from his apartment wearing the same clothes he was last seen in.
“Outrage and horror not just for the veteran, but the veteran’s family. I mean that’s mental torture to know that a loved one is missing that someone is just absent from your life, not knowing what’s happening,” Veterans advocate John Macdonald said.
The DA’s office is continuing to investigate the man’s disappearance and death, but MacDonald said broader measures need to be taken immediately.
“We need a massive overhaul, overhaul of oversight, of safety procedures, at the Bedford VA, like the monitoring of patients and a simple thing like a daily roll call,” MacDonald said.
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