COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ever since Scott Federer went missing, his friends and loved ones said they’ve been living in agony.
That all changed on Tuesday for Federer’s husband Stephen Lydick.
“It's like a dream right now. It's very strange,” Lydick said.
Lydick said Federer, 52, has been missing since January. Columbus Police found Federer’s missing body on Monday in between a car dealership and storage facility on West Broad Street.
Lydick said he was notified the next day.
"He's missed. I’m just glad that we got peace now,” Lydick said.
Lydick told 10TV that Federer was a recovering alcoholic and was being treated at Mount Carmel East Hospital. At the time he did have COVID-19.
Police said Federer left the hospital himself. But Lydick said he had made plans to pick him up that evening.
Lydick said Federer got onto a COTA bus and was dropped off a mile from where he was found.
The last time Lydick had spoken to Federer was that morning. His loved ones believe he was in no position to leave the hospital that morning.
"He was groggy, medicated. It appears that he fell down into this ditch where these rocks are pretty uneven. He hit his head and then we think that hypothermia set in,” Federer's friend Jennifer Howell said.
In the spot where Federer died, a cross will sit in honor of the life he lived. His loved ones pray that his death serves as hope for others.
"We just hope that now that we've found Scottie, anybody else that has a person, a loved one that's missing, that they can be found,” Federer's friend Linda McAuley said.
Federer's loved ones said they finally have closure since his body was found. They plan to honor his life with a ceremony soon.
10TV reached out to Mount Carmel East. A spokesperson told us this is a tragedy and a terrible loss for his family and friends.
Due to patient privacy, they couldn't discuss Scott’s case. They did say that in general, a patient has the right to refuse medical care.