“I need help.”

According to medical records obtained by CNN, that’s what Iraq War veteran Richard Miles told staff when he walked into the Des Moines U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital on February 15.

They diagnosed him with “worsened PTSD” and anxiety, gave him some pills, but did not admit him to the hospital.

Five days later, on February 20, the veteran and 40-year-old father was found dead in a wooded area near his home. While the cause was “exposure to the elements”, toxicology reports say that Miles had taken a “toxic amount of sleeping pills”, and lost consciousness.

In the wake of his death, many are clamoring to find out why the VA decided not to admit him upon his arrival, and what could have been done to prevent such a tragedy.

Medical records show that in 2008 and 2009 the veteran attempted to hang himself twice, and he shared the fact that he had suicidal thoughts and dreams with physicians. Despite this worrisome history though, he wasn’t seen as a threat to himself or anyone else on that fateful day.

A proud and passionate presenter at the Science Center of Iowa, Miles’ image was used in advertisements for the museum, and he was even was featured in YouTube videos.

“He was passionate and knowledgeable about science himself and it went beyond that. His passion extended to sharing that knowledge with others,” said Science Center of Iowa President and CEO Curt Simmons.

The battles fought deep within, however, he shared with very few. But they were there.

“He knew the date, and where he was when he had shot and killed people in the war,” said Katie Hopper, Miles’ ex-girlfriend and mother to their daughter Emmalynn. “He was very, very aware of what he was doing, that he was ending people’s lives, even if it was for the greater good.” The memory of an interrogation incident with a frail, old Iraqi man upset him quite a bit, she recalled.

The VA hospital that treated Miles has yet to make a statement. However one nearby, in Phoenix, issued this statement to CNN: “We have strengthened our protocols and approaches for how we care for suicidal veterans … we continue to look for ways improve the care and appreciate suggestions made by our employees and others.”

CNN