Kristen Spencer discovered something was wrong when her 83-year-old father disappeared from his room at a Florida assisted living facility. Hours later, William Eugene “Gene” Ray, a retired U.S. Navy veteran with dementia, was found dead inside a walk-in freezer at the same facility.
Ray had been living at The Waverly Assisted Living and Memory Care in Trinity, Florida, since May. Surveillance footage showed him leaving his room around 12:30 a.m. and never returning. After Spencer alerted staff, authorities later found him unresponsive in a restricted freezer. He was pronounced dead, and officials say the incident appears accidental, with no foul play suspected, though how he accessed the freezer remains under investigation.
The family is now demanding answers, questioning facility safety and oversight for vulnerable residents. The Waverly expressed deep sorrow, defended its care standards, and stated resident safety remains its top priority. Spencer remembers her father as a kind, hardworking man who never raised his voice.