West Virginia
Dangerous man committed for insanity escapes West Virginia mental hospital, state police searching
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WTRF) — West Virginia State Police are searching for a Huntington man after authorities said he escaped from River Park Hospital.
Troopers from the Huntington Detachment responded to the hospital on April 27, 2026, after receiving reports that James Ryan Yost, 50, had fled the facility.
Authorities said Yost is considered dangerous.
Law enforcement officers, including members of the Huntington Police Department, searched the surrounding area but were unable to locate him.
According to state police, hospital staff provided a Morgan County Circuit Court order showing Yost had been committed to the custody of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources by reason of insanity. The order remains in effect until February 2098.
Yost has been entered into the National Crime Information Center database as an escapee.
He is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing about 140 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair.
The investigation remains ongoing.