57-year-old Lynne Spalding, who was reported missing on September 21 at San Francisco General Hospital, was found dead by an engineering worker in the medical facility's stairwell 17 days later. Mayor Ed Lee said that "a thorough, independent review" will take place to find out how investigators missed several clues in hopes of finding her, CNN reported.
"It should never happened, and on that we all agree. I told the family, I wish to have of the answers, just as they do," Lee said. He added that the review is expected to begin this week.
Spalding was admitted to the San Francisco hospital on September 19 for a bladder infection, and her condition had been improving, authorities said. It was then that she disappeared just two days after being admitted in to the medical center.
Lee's hiring of an independent consultant to investigate the hospital's security and patient safety protocols underscores the curious nature of her disappearance and subsequent death. Foul play has already been ruled out, according to investigators.
"She was in fair condition when she left her hospital room shortly after being checked on by a nurse at 10:15 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, the nurse checked on her again, and upon finding her room empty, initiated a search of the hospital," a statement read.
Hospital officials said that it still does not know how the body ended up in the seldom used staircase.
"The exterior stairwell is a fire exit that is not routinely used by staff, patients or the public. It is alarmed and locks from the outside; it exits to the hospital grounds at the bottom," read another statement.
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