Body of missing Sudbury man found in abandoned vehicle at hospital
CTV News has learned a group of staff members at Health Sciences North in Sudbury, Ont., made a gruesome discovery inside a vehicle that has been sitting in the hospital parking lot for three months.
Several sources told CTV News the suspicious vehicle was reported numerous times since March and crews had even been plowing snow and sweeping sand around the abandoned car, but nothing had been done.
Around 4 p.m. June 10, three employees went out to the vehicle to do a wellness check due to the stench coming from the car parked at the back of one of the southern lots.
That is when the body was discovered.
"He was visible. All you had to do was go within maybe two feet of the car and you could see him," a source who asked to remain anonymous told CTV News.
"Had anyone looked in the car, they'd have seen him laying in the back seat."
Sudbury police confirmed the identity of the deceased is 62-year-old Rae Cameron, who was reported missing in March, in a news release Friday afternoon.
"At this time, foul play is not suspected," police said.
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Cameron was charged with six counts each of accessing, possessing and making available child pornography in February. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
SAFETY CONCERN
"So our policy is that they (security) are supposed to regularly patrol and at least every 24 hours, but I know awhile ago there had been an incident and a female security guard got in an altercation and then they no longer felt comfortable going out. So instead of doing the buddy system or hopping in the golf cart, they just stopped altogether," the anonymous source told CTV News.
"And despite the numerous phone calls and complaints about this car, they clearly never went out and checked."
Almost a week after the body was discovered, the hospital has not mentioned anything to staff to ease safety concerns, one staff member told CTV News in a phone interview.
"Haven't said 'this is an isolated incident, that patients and staff are safe,'" the concerned employee said.
"Several people have expressed concern about their safety in the parking lot and management has said, 'If you feel unsafe going into the parking lot, call security for an escort,' which just seems so insensitive because we've been calling for three months."
Police told CTV News there is no risk to the public and no criminality in the case.
"Our sincere condolences go out to the family of this individual in this tragic situation," a spokesperson for HSN told CTV News in an interview.
"We are following up with our staff to ensure they get the proper support services and help they need during this difficult time."
The hospital said it is conducting an internal review of the matter.
"Given this is a police matter, we are unable to comment further at this time," a spokesperson said.
A hospital staff member told CTV News they would like to see better security and standards.
"We have a lot of things that go wrong in hospital and a lot of sad stories, but the fact that this fell through so many hands and nobody wants to take responsibility for it and nobody wants to step up and say 'that we need to do better, we have to do better, we need better policies,'" they said.
"We need someone to be held accountable and it's just not happening."
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