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Police probe Rice Lake nursing home death

Leader-Telegram - 3/22/2017

March 22--An 88-year-old woman who apparently wandered outside a nursing home in Rice Lake early Saturday was found dead near the building.

Rice Lake police Capt. Tracy Hom said his department received a call at 3:35 a.m. Saturday about the woman missing from Rice Lake Convalescent Center, 1016 Lakeshore Drive.

"While searching for her, they found her outside a door," Hom said. "She was deceased. It was a short distance (from the building). There were alarms that should have gone off. She was probably outside a couple hours, at least."

Hom said an autopsy was ordered, and the case will be sent to Barron County District Attorney Angela Beranek after his investigation is complete.

"I don't think we'll find anything criminally," Hom said.

Beranek said Tuesday she hadn't yet seen a report on the death.

Hom said employees at the home had indicated she had been seen wandering the halls of the center in the past. Hom declined to comment on her mental condition or reasons she was in the home, citing privacy concerns.

Rice Lake Convalescent Center is an 85-bed, for-profit nursing home, online records show. The center was contacted, but officials declined to comment Tuesday.

The woman's name has not yet been released.

Contact: 715-723-0303, chris.vetter@ecpc.com

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(c)2017 the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.)

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