The recent search for a missing Massachusetts man has culminated somberly as authorities confirm the discovery of his remains under a home in South Carolina. Stanley Kotowski, a 60-year-old from Methuen, was found deceased in a crawlspace beneath a residence in the Sea Pines section of Hilton Head Island, as announced by Beaufort County Sheriff's Office Lt. Eric Calendine during a news conference. Boston 25 News reported the details provided at the joint briefing which included insights from Sheriff P.J. Tanner and Beaufort County Coroner David Ott.
According to authorities, Kotowski was experiencing severe insomnia and increasing anxiety, leading to his disappearance on August 16, 2024, when he was last seen at his vacation rental in Sea Pines Resort. Prior to his vanishing, he sought medical help as his mental state continued to deteriorate. "His anxiety just kept getting worse and worse and worse. He started to get a little paranoid. He thought someone was chasing him," Kotowski's wife, Jackie, told Boston 25 News. The report of the foul odor that eventually led to locating Kotowski came from a security officer patrolling the area, a statement obtained by WPRI explained.
Upon discovery, an autopsy conducted by the coroner's office confirmed the identity of the deceased as Kotowski and determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation by hanging, which has been labeled as a suicide. "At this time, that is all the coroner's office is going to release," said Coroner Ott in a statement released by Boston 25 News. It is believed that Kotowski passed away on the same day he went missing, wearing the same clothes he had on the last day he was seen.
Much remains shrouded concerning the final moments of Kotowski. The Sheriff's Office mentioned that he had not taken any personal items with him from the rental property and was notably distressed. The investigation is still ongoing, and the specifics of the apparatus used in his suicide have not been disclosed. "Obviously, the outcome we didn’t want, but we did bring closure to the family locating him several days later," Lt. Calendine expressed in a statement obtained by WPRI. Calendine also mentioned the efforts put in by the BCSO, resort security, and other agencies utilizing K9s, helicopters, drones, boats, and foot patrols in the search for Kotowski.
