KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and has extensively reported on issues at the Osawatomie State Hospital, including tips from viewers uncovering unsafe water at the hospital campus. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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The Miami County Sheriff’s Department late Thursday night took a patient into custody after they escaped from the Osawatomie State Hospital.
Authorities learned of the escape around 3 p.m. Thursday after a report came in that a patient escaped and fled the property.
Officers arrived and searched the area. During the search, Miami County Sheriff's deputies located an individual traveling on a bicycle near U.S. 169 highway.
The suspect fled into a wooded area south of Main Street in Osawatomie. The patient was apprehended around 5 p.m. and returned to the Osawatomie State Hospital.
This comes as the Osawatomie State Hospital has not released information into a pending investigation of a sexual assault on its campus, KSHB 41 first reported in August based on a viewer tip.
RELATED | Police investigate sexual assault at Osawatomie State Psychiatric Hospital
The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services has not answered any correspondence from KSHB 41 into multiple issues, including a request for comment and information from Gov. Laura Kelly's (D-Kansas) Office.
RELATED | 'High' legionella levels in Osawatomie State Hospital water from May 2025
The last escape occurred around this time in 2024, but no information was released to the public. In a Kansas Open Records Act request obtained by KSHB 41 from the Sheriff's Office call logs, the patient that escaped last year is reported to have threatened to kill people — still, no information was release to the public.
RELATED | Kansas lawmakers say conditions at Osawatomie State Hospital are 'administrative' issue
During an early April 2025 interview with Kansas Rep. Fred Gardner (R - District 9, Garnett), who signed onto a safety and security audit, said the issues at the Osawatomie State Hospital were administrative.
"My conclusion, after reading the post audit report, is there is some need for change in administration," Gardner explained. "The public policy looks to be fine to me, and we may need to look at some funding issues if there are administrative changes. But I think that audit does demonstrate to us that there is some need for changes there."
Osawatomie State Hospital Superintendent Ashley Byram told KSHB 41 during an April interview it has a team to review the severity of these situations.
RELATED | Osawatomie State Hospital staff plagued by harassment, fear culture
KSHB 41 has consistently reported on issues of safety in security that were outlined in a legislative audit last year. There isn't a clear indication as to what has been upgraded.
When KSHB 41 News Reporter Ryan Gamboa visited the hospital in April, all the hospital offered to show him was a key card door and a radio on the fire station.
RELATED | Inside Osawatomie State Hospital, preselected staff speak, others fear administration
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