A 27-year-old Alabama nurse, Adah Doss, was killed on May 12 in the south parking lot of DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa after finishing a shift and speaking by phone with her husband, Andrew. According to the lawsuit he filed, they had been talking about the day, dinner plans, and their routine with their two young daughters, a 6-month-old baby and a 2-year-old, when the call suddenly turned frightening.
The suit says a man identified as 41-year-old Matthew Taylor approached Doss with a gun and demanded her car keys. Doss tried to keep walking away, but he followed her through the lot with the weapon pointed at her. Moments before she was shot, Andrew heard her plead, “Please don’t shoot, I have children.” Investigators say Taylor fired seconds later and Doss died at the scene. Taylor was arrested nearby and charged with capital murder and additional offenses. Authorities said he did not know Doss beforehand.
The case expanded when Andrew Doss also sued the hospital, its security contractor, and Taylor for wrongful death. The complaint alleges Taylor had been brought to the emergency department earlier that same day in what was described as a manic episode or unstable condition, but was never registered as a patient and wandered the medical center for hours without adequate supervision.
The lawsuit says hospital and security staff knew, or should have known, about Taylor’s unusual behavior, but failed to properly assess the risk or locate him. DCH said it cannot comment on pending litigation, but noted that Doss was part of the DCH family and that the hospital has strengthened security procedures. New measures include emergency signage in parking lots, direct call points to security, increased guard presence, and police patrols after hours.
