Found Deceased MO - Donna Eye, 44, medical cond causing MH issue, sheriff's dep gave her ride from hosp 11pm & left her in Mark Twain Natl Forest, Potosi, 8 Jan 2024

[Unalienable Rights]

This is a very disturbing case -- horrifying, really. Watch the videos and read the articles for the full details.

Summary: Donna Eye, age 44, had a procedure for swelling in the brain that resulted in a mental health issue and difficulty in walking. She was recently hospitalized, and decided to leave the hospital Jan 8, late at night. The hospital called the sheriff's office and a sheriff's deputy picked her up at the hospital and dropped her off around midnight on Shirley School Rd in the Mark Twain National Forest. DE told the deputy it was the end of her brother's driveway, but it was actually a conservation/service road.

DE's brother says that she was in no condition to decide on her own to leave the hospital, and the hospital didn't notify him that she had left. The family has been searching, and they found a bag with her clothes and make-up in the road, about a mile from her brother's actual driveway.

(IMO it seems incredible that the sheriff's deputy would have picked her up at a hospital late at night and would not have made sure that she had reached her destination safely.)

Remains found near Washington County farm identified as missing Potosi woman

The 44-year-old was last seen Jan. 9 in Washington County.

www.ksdk.com

POTOSI, Mo. — The Mineral Area Major Case Squad was activated Tuesday to assist in the search for a missing Washington County woman.

According to a news release from the Major Case Squad, 44-year-old Donna Janine (Cross) Eye was last seen on Jan. 9 near Shirley School Road in Potosi. A family member reported her missing on Thursday.

*******
More than a dozen investigators with the Major Case Squad were assigned to the investigation. Anyone with information to that would help in the search for the missing woman should contact the Washington County 911 Center at 573-438-1079.

Family: Missing mother last seen with Missouri deputy

The family of a missing Missouri mother is searching the Mark Twain National Forest after claiming a sheriff’s deputy was the last person to see their loved one.

fox2now.com

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Mo. – The family of a missing Missouri mother is searching the Mark Twain National Forest after claiming a sheriff’s deputy was the last person to see their loved one.

*****
Ronald Eye, Donna’s brother, said she has a medical condition that sometimes limits her ability to walk and has mental health issues. She decided to leave the hospital late in the evening on Monday, January 8.

“Donna was not in any condition to make a decision for herself,” Ronald said. “They informed me, while we were standing right where we are right now, she had been picked up at the hospital by a Washington County female sheriff’s deputy.”

Donna has not been seen since.

*****

 

[swanniee11]

Help find FB Log into Facebook admins are friends
FB's Log into Facebook

Donna J. Cross

Donna J. Cross is on Facebook. Join Facebook to connect with Donna J. Cross and others you may know. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected.

www.facebook.com

 

[dalsglen]

This is horrifying. It's just trees trees and more trees. Where do you even begin to search?

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

what craziness is this? What LE would leave a recently released MH patient at midnight in the forest, even if it WAS the end of her brother's driveway? Hope there's dashcam footage to back this "story" up

 

[AmandaSkis]

Assuming the officer was not involved in foul play, this is a great example of why LE should not get involved in transporting people. If she wanted to leave, she should have been required to find her own way home. Maybe the hospital thought it was good CYA to involve LE but people can leave hospitals against medical advice.

 

[tlcya]

yes, people can leave a hospital against ama. sounds like the brother contends she was not capable of making an informed decision about that. I haven't read all the links, working my way through. But it can be hard for a hospital to keep someone from leaving ama if they are determined to do so and not under any sort of court ordered conservatorship or guardianship.

I completely understand his frustration. But what puzzles me is the involvement of LE. They are not uber or taxi cabs. Why did the hospital call them? Why did they take the woman? Why, then, did they leave her on the side of the road in the natl forest?? why on earth would they assume that liability when it surely wasn't apart of their job?

 

[Moonstrawbs]

This is so concerning. I really hope she's ok and there's some good news soon.

 

[sunflowermomma]

This is crazy and something is not lining up. This reminds me of the Saskatoon "starlight tours"....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatoon_freezing_deaths

 

[tlcya]

more questions, is her brother her POA? Did the hospital have contact info for him? Personally, I feel the hospital staff should have told her "we can release you AMA but how about you or we contact a family member to come get you?" and not involved LE. JMO this all could have been avoided. Possibly a family member contacted to be her "ride" could have given family an opportunity to convince her NOT to leave ama

 

[GraceG]

Here is a google map of Shirley School Road where she was dropped off. As you can see with the overlay, it's heavily forested but it's not uninhabited, and there are numerous homes along the road, one of which according to media (linked below) was her brothers. Shirley School Rd · Walton Township, MO 63664

Why she wasn't reported missing until 3 days after she left the hospital is a good question. As to LE involvement, my Mom was a Deputy Sheriff, there had lots of procedures in place for transporting victims, arrestees, witnesses, and the mentally ill TO the hospital but nothing about providing them rides FROM the hospital. Mother, missing 8 days, last seen in Mark Twain National Forest

 

[LoveyG]

What happened to the unwritten rule that when you give someone a ride, you wait until they are safely in the house and they wave you off? Especially at night.

 

[Limecat]

What happened to the unwritten rule that when you give someone a ride, you wait until they are safely in the house and they wave you off? Especially at night.

I’m 60f, my best friend is 65m, we live in a tiny town and both carry, and I still do this for him and he does it for me. It’s just courtesy at best, but if you‘ve taken on the responsibility of getting someone home, ill or not, you make sure they completely get where they are going. This is very angering. MOO

 

[airportwoman]

This is crazy and something is not lining up. This reminds me of the Saskatoon "starlight tours"....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatoon_freezing_deaths

I thought the same thing.

Potosi's hospital is basically an emergency room with some inpatient beds. They don't even deliver babies at that facility (which is pretty common for small rural hospitals).

 

[sassyblue]

Remains found near Washington County farm identified as missing Potosi woman

The 44-year-old was last seen Jan. 9 in Washington County.

www.ksdk.com

POTOSI, Mo. — More than a week after a relative reported a Potosi woman missing, a body found Wednesday near a farm in Washington County, Missouri, has been identified as her remains. It remains unclear how long her body had been there.
Sgt. Greg Adams, commander of the Mineral Area Major Case Squad, said that during the execution of a search warrant on a farm located in the 10000 block of Shirley School Road in Potosi in Washington County, Missouri, someone told law enforcement personnel they'd seen a dead body belonging to a woman on the adjoining property nearby.

The body was identified Wednesday as 44-year-old Donna Eye by her relatives. An official autopsy will be performed on Friday to investigate the cause or manner of death.

More at the link

 

[borndem]

What happened to the unwritten rule that when you give someone a ride, you wait until they are safely in the house and they wave you off? Especially at night.

Exactly -- especially a woman with no one with her -- and apparently there was no house, apartment, etc. for her to enter and be safe. (I may have misunderstood that situation...but I don't think I did.)
And yes, especially at night. By herself. She just left a hospital. SMH

 

[GuyfromCanada]

Remains found near Washington County farm identified as missing Potosi woman

The 44-year-old was last seen Jan. 9 in Washington County.

www.ksdk.com

POTOSI, Mo. — More than a week after a relative reported a Potosi woman missing, a body found Wednesday near a farm in Washington County, Missouri, has been identified as her remains. It remains unclear how long her body had been there.
Sgt. Greg Adams, commander of the Mineral Area Major Case Squad, said that during the execution of a search warrant on a farm located in the 10000 block of Shirley School Road in Potosi in Washington County, Missouri, someone told law enforcement personnel they'd seen a dead body belonging to a woman on the adjoining property nearby.

The body was identified Wednesday as 44-year-old Donna Eye by her relatives. An official autopsy will be performed on Friday to investigate the cause or manner of death.

More at the link

Oh no! This is absolutely terrible. May Donna rest in peace.

 

[elliefant]

Although the circumstances are different it reminds me of the death of Mitrice Richardson after she was released by police in the middle of the night while not in her right mind and with no means to get home.

 

[Limecat]

What an unnecessarily tragic outcome, and how easily it could’ve been avoided - in multiple ways. May she be able to rest in peace.

 

[mickey2942]

This is disturbing. Unfortunately, I can see a new LEO doing this, maybe hospital called him, to take patient home. Maybe he/she thought that they were doing the "right" thing. She insists on getting out at that spot. He/she is already regretting getting involved, lets her out.

Sad. But until there is more evidence to the contrary, I am going with this.

 

[OckhamsRazor22]

what craziness is this? What LE would leave a recently released MH patient at midnight in the forest, even if it WAS the end of her brother's driveway? Hope there's dashcam footage to back this "story" up

I’m hoping there is some footage. His vehicle is outfitted with GPS for sure. Sad. Just completely off. No LEO I know would do this. Ever.