The family of a Massachusetts man who disappeared on a family vacation and was found dead beneath a home in Hilton Head, South Carolina, is speaking out.
Stanley Kotowski, 60, had apparently been suffering from insomnia and anxiety when he left his family's vacation home in Hilton Head and began wandering around on the morning of Aug. 16. He had been missing for 10 days, but on Monday the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office found what appeared to be his body.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that Stan has been found,” Kotowski's wife, Jackie Kotowski, said in a Facebook post on Monday. “Sadly, he is no longer with us. We are heartbroken by this unimaginable loss.”
She thanked “everyone who offered to help, shared information and assisted in the search effort.”
South Carolina police find body of Massachusetts man who disappeared from family vacation in Hilton Head
Anyone with information regarding Stanley Kotowski's disappearance is asked to contact the Beaufort County Police Department at 843-524-2777. (Facebook)
“Your kindness and concern has meant the world to us during this incredibly difficult time,” Jackie wrote. “It has taken us a while to process this news and we ask for your continued thoughts and prayers. We are not ready to share more information yet, but will share more when we can.”
The authorities Kotowski's The body was found “under a residence” in the Sea Pines area of Hilton Head, a popular, quiet resort town on the South Carolina coast.
“Today, August 26, 2024, at approximately 11:30 AM, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office received a call regarding suspicious activity from a residence in Sea Pines. During the course of the investigation, a male deceased was discovered in the basement of the residence,” the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said in a statement posted to Facebook. “The deceased male is believed to be Stanley Kotowski, 60, of Massachusetts. Mr. Kotowski was reported missing on August 16, 2024.”
Massachusetts man missing after vanishing from vacation spot in Hilton Head, South Carolina
The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said they have found what is believed to be the remains of Massachusetts resident Stanley Kotowski after he went missing on August 16th. (Beaufort County Sheriff)
The sheriff's office added that his body was recovered from under the home on Monday at approximately 3:30 p.m.
Ring doorbell footage released over the weekend shows Kotowski leaving his family's rental home in Hilton Head, South Carolina, on the day he disappeared.
Video released by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office shows Kotowski walking barefoot out the front door of a rental home on South Sea Pines Drive, and he appears confused in the video, stopping in the middle of the road to look around before continuing to walk.
The sheriff's office said Stanley Kotowski was wearing a Coors Light shirt, dark gray shorts and no shoes when he left the scene. (Facebook)
Jackie said Local news media WJCL that “[h]He just walked out the door.”
“He had been suffering from terrible insomnia for about a month. He doesn't have dementia. His anxiety was getting worse and worse and he started to become a bit paranoid,” she said.
Click here to get the FOX News app
According to the BCSO report obtained by WJCL, Jackie told the sheriff that her husband “believes Sea Pines is a 'trap' and that there is a conspiracy going on around here that is out to get him. Stanley has stated on multiple occasions that people here are 'keeping an eye on him.'”
Before leaving their rental home, Stanley reportedly told Jackie, “Promise me you'll go without me.”
The county medical examiner is scheduled to perform an autopsy on Tuesday.
