NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – An attorney who has handled numerous negligence cases against a North Miami nursing home weighed in Thursday after a 71-year-old man was discovered dead in a storage closet inside the facility on Monday.
The man, whose family identified him as Elin Etienne, was reported missing on Aug. 22 after being admitted for therapy following an aneurysm.
Police confirmed his body was found days later, but the circumstances of how he ended up in one of the closets at North Dade Nursing and Rehab, located at 1255 NE 135th St., remain unclear.
Etienne’s family is now demanding answers, saying the nursing home has failed to be transparent.
“People just don’t disappear from nursing homes,” said South Florida attorney William Dean, who has settled lawsuits against the facility in the past. “They’re supposed to be watched, monitored and taken care of.”
Dean criticized the nursing home’s handling of the situation when speaking with Local 10′s Janine Stanwood on Thursday.
“The nursing home should have immediately identified the issue, informed the family and called law enforcement,” he said. “Knowing this place as I do, I have no doubt they are not being forthcoming with the family.”
Local police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Etienne’s death.
The North Dade nursing home released a statement saying they are cooperating with law enforcement, but no one from the facility has spoken on camera.
The family was reportedly tipped off about the discovery of Etienne’s body, and it’s still unknown how long his body remained in the storage closet.
The medical examiner is conducting a final report to determine the cause of death.
Dean said the incident is part of a larger issue with nursing home care.
“I’ve dealt with not just this one, but others across South Florida. These are systemic problems, and they need to be addressed,” he said. “Every day, it’s just one horror show after another.”
As the investigation continues, Etienne’s family is left grieving and seeking justice for the man who they say was a devoted family member and immigrant from Haiti.