Family demands answers after beloved son was found dead in hospital bathroom two weeks after he was discharged then vanished

Ryan Edelen’s family is seeking answers after he was found dead in a locked bathroom at HCA HealthONE Aurora in Colorado on 21 August 2025, two weeks after being discharged from its emergency department. His death has raised questions about the hospital’s discharge decision and how a person could remain undiscovered in a busy area for so long.

Edelen was brought to hospital on 7 August after being found unresponsive and without a pulse; a bystander performed CPR and he received naloxone. Medical notes reportedly said he was at risk of seizures and needed further evaluation, but he was discharged without a prescription less than three hours after arriving. The coroner attributed his death to mixed methamphetamine and methadone toxicity; the hospital said it assisted police with their investigation.