On September 29, 2023, my son, Haden William Simms, bravely survived a devastating car crash. Despite his apparent physical injuries and his vulnerable state, he was inexplicably discharged from Sarasota Memorial Hospital without any family notification. My contact information was correctly filed in his chart, yet I received no call. It is deeply painful to think that Haden was sent home alone, with no support system in place after such a traumatic event.

Tragically, on October 4, 2023, my beloved son was found dead in his home from a gunshot wound. This discovery followed a shocking series of events where Sarasota County deputies, upon a welfare check request backed by concerned neighbors' observations, refused to enter his home. Furthermore, they threatened to arrest me, his mother, upon insistence, citing baseless reasons for denying entry.

Neighbors reported alarming signs: Haden was seen wearing a hospital gown, IV still in his arm, and only one slipper on. In the face of these distressing reports, law enforcement refused to conduct a proper welfare check. Their neglect has left me and my family devastated, with countless questions but no answers.

Demand accountability for mishandled death investigations

The Issue

Three years ago, my life was irrevocably changed when my 25-year-old son, who survived a harrowing highway crash, was found dead in his home. This tragedy has been further compounded by the gross negligence displayed by Sarasota Memorial Hospital, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. Each entity, from the hospital where he was discharged without notifying me, to the deputies who stood idly by as I tried to check on my son, has failed my family. Instead of providing answers or relief, they have shrouded my son's death in mystery, leaving us in the dark about how and when he passed.

Despite the glaring oversight, such as closing the case within mere 14 hours and failing to conduct even the most basic forensic work, no DNA testing, no fingerprints, no swabs, no accountability has been enforced. Internal Affairs may have wrote them up for reprimand and documented their failings, but documentation without action is futile. Our request for records from the Sheriff's Office, the Highway Patrol, and the Medical Examiner has also been stonewalled, leaving crucial questions about my son's death unanswered.

This petition is a call for justice and transparency, not just for my family, but for every family that has been handed silence instead of answers. By signing, you are telling the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, the District 12 Medical Examiner, and Sarasota Memorial Hospital that my questions about my son's death will not be buried with him. You are demanding a thorough, independent investigation, real accountability for the deputies and hospital staff who failed Haden, and the release of every record these agencies have kept from me for three years. Our system is supposed to protect a patient in crisis and a missing person in danger. For my son, it did neither, and then it closed the file and walked away.

I have asked politely. I have asked in writing. I have asked for three years. Now I am asking you. Sign this petition to urge Florida officials to launch a comprehensive inquiry into Haden's case, hold those at fault accountable, and make sure no other family has to fight their own government to learn how their child died. I will not stop until I know the truth about my son. Stand with me, share his story, and help me bring him the justice he was denied.