Hospital Disappearances

Just a few days ago, Shay Lyn Eisenhardt’s body was discovered near a hospital that she had been treated on July 17, 2003. Shay vanished after the visit there to never be seen alive again. At this time, there is not much information on how Shay died or even if there was foul play involved. Today’s blog entry takes a look at two hospital disappearances. They are not believed to be related, but they all took place in or around a hospital.

The first case is that of Katrina Nash from Olympia, Washington. Her story began when she was taken to an emergency room for evaluation. Katrina had some sort of a mental breakdown and it came out of no where. She was an intelligent young girl who was head of her class and very well liked. Her condition took her family by surprise and they wanted to do all they could to find out what caused this episode.
Upon Katrina’s arrival to the hospital facility, she was very upset and out of sorts. Her mother, Dottie Nash requested that the hospital staff not leave Katrina alone due to her condition. Against Dottie’s wishes, the doctors and nurses put Katrina in a room separated away from her family’s watchful eye. Once the hospital staff came back to make their observation of Katrina, she had vanished without a trace.
It would be nine long years before the Nash family would find Katrina. Her remains were found a few miles from where she vanished that fateful June 18, 1996. It is unclear of Katrina was murdered or if she died after her escape from the hospital from some type of natural cause. Given the condition she was in upon her arrival, it’s hard to make a determination.
What is more troubling about the Katrina Nash case is the hospital’s inability to stop a person who was obviously ill from leaving their care undetected. The family of Katrina would pursue a lawsuit against the hospital but were not successful. It just seems so outlandish that a person could walk out of a hospital with no camera or hospital personnel catching the exit. It happened to Katrina.

In 2003, Shay Eisenhardt was leaving a hospital in Michigan when she vanished without a trace. Her disappearance was one that devastated her family because it was not like her to simply walk away without telling anyone where she was going. It is unclear if Shay met with foul play upon leaving the hospital or if something medically went wrong after she walked out the doors of the hospital’s care.

With Shay’s case, her family did not have to wait nine years to find answers but the time that passed was plenty enough. I doubt that the discovery will bring any satisfaction or closure to their family not knowing what happened to Shay that fateful day.

Our hospitals need to have more security available to protect their patients. They should be guarded like a courthouse with security. These are places where people go who are sick and in need of assistance. Protection is one of those things they need to have when they arrive at one of these facilities. This is yet another one of my problems with safety. There are so many areas that are not considered important when protecting our community. Here’s hoping they find the answers for both of these ladies and their untimely deaths.

More Information Links:

Katrina Nash Disappearance
Shay Eisenhardt Disappearance