Current:Home > InvestJohnathan Walker:Body found in Hilton Head, South Carolina believed to be Massachusetts man who vanished -TradeCircle
Johnathan Walker:Body found in Hilton Head, South Carolina believed to be Massachusetts man who vanished
SignalHub View
Date:2025-04-10 06:46:11
A Massachusetts man who had been missing for more than a week is Johnathan Walkerbelieved to have been found dead underneath a home at the same resort in South Carolina where he was vacationing with his family, according to authorities.
Stanley Kotowski, 60, abruptly vanished Aug. 16 when he left the vacation rental property at Hilton Head Island where the family was staying. Law enforcement in Beaufort County, where the island is located, spent days searching the area for Kotowski, who was believed to be undergoing a mental health crisis.
That search came to an end Monday when sheriff's deputies called to a home for suspicious activity found the body of a man underneath the property, the agency said in an update on Facebook. The body is believed to be that of Kotowski, according to the sheriff's office.
Missing hiker found dead:Remains found in Washington believed to be missing Oregon hiker
Stanley Kotowski left vacation rental with no shoes, phone
Kotowski and his family, who are from Methuen, located about 30 miles north of Boston, were vacationing at Hilton Head Island when he disappeared.
Kotowski was last seen in person on the morning of Aug. 16 leaving his family’s vacation rental at the Sea Pines Resort. When Kotowski left, he was shoeless and without his phone and wallet, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.
In home surveillance footage shared Saturday by the sheriff's office, Kotowski doesn't appear to be rushed or panicked as he calmly leaves the home. He can be seen in the footage walking barefoot to the street, where he pauses for a few moments before walking off camera.
His wife Jackie Kotowski told media that her husband had been struggling with anxiety, insomnia and paranoia.
"He thought someone was chasing him," Jackie Kotowski told ABC Savannah, Georgia, affiliate WJCL.
The sheriff's office deployed canines, drones, and helicopters to locate Kotowski, while firefighters helped to comb residential and wooded areas. But for days, the only signs of Kotowski came from sporadic recordings on neighbors' home surveillance cameras.
Kotowski believed to be found dead underneath Sea Pines home
Ten days after he went missing, Kotowski was believed to be found dead.
Sheriff's deputies were called at 11:30 a.m. local time Monday to a home at the Sea Pines resort for suspicious activity. While investigating, "the body of a deceased male was located underneath a residence," the sheriff's office said.
The body, which is believed to be Kotowski's, was recovered by 3:30 p.m. and will undergo an autopsy to determine how he died, according to the sheriff's office.
Kotowski's family, however, has confirmed to WJCL that the body is his and was found beneath a home four houses down from their rental unit.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]
veryGood! (78)
Related
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Tackling 'Energy Justice' Requires Better Data. These Researchers Are On It
- Climate Change Is Threatening The U.S. West's Water Supply
- Why Clearing Brazil's Forests For Farming Can Make It Harder To Grow Crops
- Average rate on 30
- Qantas allowing male cabin crew members to wear makeup and women to scrap high-heels
- Ukraine says 10 killed in Dnipro as Russia attacks civilians with counteroffensive pushing forward
- Untangling the Drama Swirling Around TikTok as Talk of a Ban Heats Up
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Iran helping Russia build plant to manufacture drones for likely use in Ukraine, White House says
Ranking
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Australian Scott White gets 9 years in prison for punching gay American Scott Johnson off Sydney cliff in 1988
- Justin Long Confirms Kate Bosworth Engagement With Story About His Romantic Proposal
- Hundreds of thousands of people in Ukraine could lose access to drinking water after barbaric dam attack
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- Rebel Wilson Shares First Glimpse of 5-Month-Old Daughter Royce's Face
- Former Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon released after arrest amid financial probe
- Reese Witherspoon Ditches Her Wedding Ring While Out in Nashville Amid Jim Toth Divorce
Recommendation
Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
Indigenous group requests internet blackout to limit negative impact of smartphones
Helicopter mishap in Syria injures 22 U.S. service members, U.S. military says
Disney’s Live-Action Lilo & Stitch Finally Finds Its Lilo
Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
Ariana Madix's Revenge Dress for Vanderpump Rules Reunion Is Hotter Than You Expected
Former head of U.K. police watchdog group charged with raping a minor
Attack on Democratic Republic of Congo camp for displaced people reportedly leaves at least 23 children dead