Janice R. Andrews
Stanley Kotowski, a 60-year-old father from Massachusetts who went missing while on vacation with his family on Hilton Head Island, killed himself, ending an 11-day search that was very sad. His body was found on Monday, buried under a nearby house, close to the rental where he was last seen on August 16.
David Ott, the coroner for Beaufort County, reported to the press on Tuesday that Kotowski had killed himself by hanging himself and cutting off his air supply with a “apparatus.” Ott said, “We think the day he died is the day he went missing.” He said that Kotowski did not actually hang himself, even though the person did die of asphyxiation. He also said that misunderstandings about the word “hanging” often cause problems.
In the days before he went missing, Kotowski had been having a lot of mental health problems, such as fear, anxiety, and terrible sleeplessness. Jackie Kotowski, Stanley’s wife, said that he was getting more and more nervous while they were on vacation. He was afraid of the ocean and became obsessed with the idea that people, including the police, were after him.
Before he went missing, Kotowski had gone to the doctor because his mental health was getting worse. Even though Kotowski’s family tried to help him during the trip, his health got worse, which led to his sad choice.
Dogs, drones, and door-to-door polling were all used in the lengthy search for Kotowski, but at first, no results were found. Later, it was found that Kotowski had gotten into a crawl space through a small hole near a house next door’s outdoor bathroom. It was hard for search and rescue teams to find him earlier because of this secret entry point.
When asked about the difficulties the search teams faced, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said, “Once I had a chance to review where the body was recovered, I completely understand why he wasn’t found sooner, until there was some evidence that led us in that direction.”
CCTV video from August 16 showed Kotowski leaving his vacation rental without shoes on and going down the street while looking confused. His body was finally found on Monday under the house next door. The search was a sad end, and his family and community are still grieving.
