Lynne Spalding, 57, went missing after she checked herself into San Francisco General Hospital for bladder infection two weeks ago.
Friends searched for Spalding, creating a "Find Lynne" Facebook page for tips on her whereabouts. On Tuesday, a body was found in an exterior stairwell believed to be Spalding, CNN reports.
"We're distressed," Rachael Kagan, a spokeswoman for San Francisco General Hospital, told KTVU. "We don't know what happened. That's our top priority, is to find that out."
Spalding's family is currently waiting on confirmation of the body's identity from the medical examiner.
Family spokesperson David Perry has released the following statement on the "Find Lynne" Facebook page:
As we begin to assess the impact of yesterday's shocking revelations, Lynne Spalding's family is still waiting final confirmation of the identity of the remains found in a stairwell at SF General. We would like to thank the San Francisco Medical Examiner for their sensitivity and speed in this painful situation.
No matter the identity of the body, several questions demand answers from San Francisco General and the San Francisco Sheriff's Department that provides security there and would have been the lead agency involved:
1) What are the protocols for an in-hospital search following a missing patient?
2) When was the first in-hospital search initiated for Lynne Spalding who was last seen in her room on September 21?
3) How many searches were undertaken?
4) Are there cameras (in working order, and constantly recording) covering every entrance / exit at SF General and if not, why?
5) If the answer to # 4 is "no" then what steps - immediately - will be taken to rectify this and prevent a situation such as exists now?
Lynne's family and friends are obviously emotionally exhausted by events of the last 2 1/2 weeks. These questions demand answers -- out of respect for the person whose remains were discovered yesterday, for Lynne Spalding and for all those who seek hospital care at SF General.
Spalding is a mother of two adult children. She was last seen on Sept. 21, a little before 10:30 a.m., according to hospital staff.
