Medical Student Still Missing After Three Months
By Ned Ackland
When Headley University medical student Diane Devinger didn’t show up for work at Eastern Hospital one Monday morning, co-workers knew immediately that something was amiss.
"Diane never missed a day, even when she was sick," explained Dr. Susan Peterson. "We had to send her home once when she had a cold, becuase we were afraid she would get the rest of the staff sick. Even then, we practically had to push her out the door. Diane was that dedicated."
Devinger, 27, was last seen leaving the hospital Friday evening. When she didn’t show up for work the following Monday, co-workers became concerned and checked her house. Devinger was nowhere to be found though many of her personal items were missing.
County Police Detective Marcus Hunter stated, "She may have just up and left, though there didn’t seem to be much motivation for it. Her co-workers said she was something of a loner. We tried to track down her family, but no luck."
Devinger had studied surgical medicine at Headley University, though was unable to become a doctor due to low scores on her medical board exams. She was employed as a resident nurse at Eastern Hospital.
When asked if she thought Devinger may have committed suicide, Dr Peterson commented. "Absolutely not. Diane was very strong willed. She had commented for months that she had plans in the works to get licensed to be a surgeon. Then she just disappeared."
Other co-workers agree with Peterson’s view of Devinger as a determined woman, but also express that Devinger has another side as well.
"She was frustrated," fellow nurse Angela Moon confided. "Diane felt that there were political reasons she wasn’t able to practice medicine. It made her very angry. She didn’t let many people know how she felt and put on a nice face in front of a lot people, but underneath, she was quite bitter and angry."
One month after Devinger’s disappearance, Mitchell Taylor, a resident doctor at Eastern was found dead in his apartment of strangulation. Asked if his death could be linked to Devinger’s disappearance, Detective Hunter said, “It’s not a lead we’re following.”
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