Elderly, dementia-stricken veteran found dead inside walk-in freezer at assisted living facility
Ray wandered off during the evening on Sept. 25 and never returned to his room, according to Ring camera footage. Google Maps
An 83-year-old U.S. Navy veteran suffering from dementia was found dead inside a walk-in freezer at a Florida assisted living facility after his daughter noticed he was missing from his room.
William Eugene “Gene” Ray, a father of two and retired sailor who served his country for 36 years, had been living at the Waverly Assisted Living and Memory Care in Trinity, Florida. His daughter, Kristen Spencer, said she had recently installed a Ring camera in his room to monitor his well-being as his dementia worsened over the summer.
“You put your loved one in there with trust,” Spencer told Fox 13, explaining that the family believed Ray would be safe and cared for by trained professionals.
Ray moved into the facility in May to receive specialized memory care. But on the morning of September 26, Spencer checked the camera footage and realized something was wrong. “The light was on, but Dad wasn’t in his room,” she said.
Reviewing the footage, Spencer discovered that her father had left his room around 12:30 a.m. and never returned. Alarmed, she called her mother, who contacted the facility. A few hours later, a staff member made the horrifying discovery—Ray’s body was found inside a walk-in freezer.
“But then the next words out of her mouth were, ‘He’s in the freezer,’” Spencer recounted. “And I said, ‘What do you mean he’s in the freezer?’”
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said the initial investigation found no signs of foul play, though the circumstances remain under review.
Spencer said there had been “no major issues” since her father’s move to Waverly, but “little things” had started raising red flags in recent months. Now, she and her family are demanding accountability and safety reforms.
“If we hadn’t called the facility, when would they have found him?” she asked. “When you have vulnerable people in a place, you have to secure these areas. No other family should have to go through this.”
In a statement, The Waverly expressed condolences and defended its staff, asking the public to refrain from posting “unmoderated, anonymous, non-factual reviews.”
“Our community is deeply saddened by this heartbreaking loss,” the statement read. “We are proud of our staff’s immediate response and remain confident in the high level of service and care we provide.”
Ray, affectionately known as Gene, enlisted in the Navy at just 17 years old and served with distinction for nearly four decades. After retiring, he continued serving his community through work in land surveying and later at the Florida Department of Transportation in Bartow.
His family remembers him as a devoted father, a man of integrity, and a proud veteran who loved his country.
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