Probate Lawyer in Hilton Head Island, SC

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. — A body found under a home in South Carolina on Monday is that of a missing Massachusetts man who had been the subject of an extensive search, authorities confirmed Tuesday.

The body of 60-year-old Stanley Kotowski, of Methuen, was discovered in a crawlspace beneath a home in the Sea Pines section of Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Eric Calendine announced during a joint news conference alongside Sheriff P.J. Tanner and Beaufort County Coroner David Ott.

A security officer at the Sea Pines Resort, where Kotowski was last seen on Aug. 16, was patrolling the area on Monday when he noticed a foul odor coming from a home and spotted flies, according to Calendine.

Tanner described the crawlspace as “very unique and very small,” noting that it was no more than three feet in height.

“I completely understand how he was not found until there were some evidence or clues that led us in that direction,” Tanner said. “This is a very secluded area. It’s underneath townhomes.”

Ott confirmed Kotowski’s identity during an autopsy on Tuesday morning and determined that his cause of death was asphyxiation by hanging. Ott offered limited details on the manner of his death, only labeling it as a “suicide.”

Authorities confirm body found in South Carolina is missing Mass. man, announce his cause of death

“At this time, that is all the coroner’s office is going to release,” Ott said. “He is positively identified and we’re going to leave it at that.”

Ott noted that he believed Kotowski had been dead since about the day he vanished and that he was wearing the same clothes he had on the last day he was seen.

Kotowski and his family had been vacationing at a nearby rental property before he went missing. His wife previously said that he had developed “really bad” insomnia in the weeks leading up to his disappearance.

“His anxiety just kept getting worse and worse and worse. He started to get a little paranoid. He thought someone was chasing him,” Jackie Kotowski said.

Calendine revealed Tuesday that Kotowski was “going through a mental crisis” and that he had sought medical help just days before he went missing.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said Kotowski did not take any personal items with him when he left the rental property.

An investigation remains ongoing.

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BEAUFORT, S.C. (WCSC) - Beaufort County investigators confirmed Tuesday morning a body found under a home is that of a Hilton Head Island man who was the subject of an 11-day search.

The body of Stanley Kotowski, 60, was discovered on Monday, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Lt. Eric Calendine said. A security officer of Sea Pines Resort, where Kotowski had last been seen on Aug. 16, was patrolling the area on Monday and smelled a foul odor from a home and spotted flies in the area, leading him to call the sheriff’s office.

Deputies responded and found Kotowski was found in a crawlspace under the home.

Coroner David Ott confirmed his identity during an autopsy Tuesday morning. He said the cause of death was asphyxiation and said foul play was not suspected in the death.

The home where he was found was just a few houses away from a rental property where Kotowski and his family had been staying, authorities said.

Ott said he believes Kotowski had been dead since roughly the day he disappeared.

Asked about how authorities did not find the body sooner, particularly since it was so close to the area from which he disappeared, Sheriff PJ Tanner said he initially had the same question.

“But once, once I had an opportunity to review where they were, Stanley was found, where the body was recovered, I completely understand how he was not found until there were some evidence or clues that led us in that in that direction,” Tanner said. “This is a very secluded area. It’s underneath townhomes.”

Tanner said the crawlspace was no more than three feet high with an entry point he called “very unique and very small.”

“And to even consider that being an entry point for the crawl space is something that would, you would probably overlook, because it just doesn’t make a lot of sense on how that would be the crawl space entry point. And then once you get underneath the building, that’s kind of a maze,” he said.

Authorities provided only limited details on the manner of death, labeling it a hanging.

“If there is a message in any of this, we have got to be more attentive to mental mental illness,” Sheriff PJ Tanner said.

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Stanley Kotowski's remains have been found ten days after he went missing from his family's rental property on South Carolina's Hilton Head Island.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Sea Pines home regarding suspicious activity at about 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 26.

According to a press release from the department, upon their arrival, officers conducted an investigation that led to the discovery of the body of a deceased male underneath the residence.

Mass. Father, 60, Missing After He Was Seen Leaving Family's Vacation Rental Barefoot on Ring Camera

"It is believed that the deceased male is 60-year-old Stanley Kotowski of Massachusetts," the press release states.

The body is scheduled to undergo an autopsy by the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office on Tuesday, Aug. 27, to "determine the manner of death, as well as positively identify the decedent."

Kotowski's family, however, has confirmed to WJCL that the remains are his and were found beneath a home "four houses down" from their rental unit.

The Massachusetts native was last seen in the South Sea Pines Drive area on Friday, August 16, around 10:30 a.m.

A previous press release explained that Kotowski exited the rental home without personal belongings, such as his cell phone or wallet.

"Since Kotowski was reported missing the Sheriff's Office has continued search efforts. BCSO, along with other agencies and Sea Pines Security, have been using multiple resources to search for Kotowski to, include K9s, helicopters, drones, boats, and foot patrol," the press release said.

To aid in the search, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office released ring doorbell footage from the property that showed Kotowsk exiting the home barefoot in a dark-colored Coors Light T-shirt and shorts. He then stopped in the middle of the street and looked at the area around him before slowly walking out of the frame.

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"He just walked out the door. He had really bad insomnia for about a month," his wife, Jackie Kotowski, recalled at the time to WJCL. "He doesn't have dementia. His anxiety just kept getting worse and worse and worse, and he started to get a little paranoid."

The body of a Massachusetts man has been found underneath a house in South Carolina, sparking questions as to what happened.

South Carolina authorities say they believe the body is that of 60-year-old Stanley Kotowski, who went missing while on vacation on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. He was last seen in the South Sea Pines Drive area on August 16.

At 3:30 p.m. on August 26, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office discovered the body underneath a house also in the South Sea Pines area. The discovery was made after a report of suspicious activity at the 5,000-acre gated community on the morning of August 26.

Following the news of the body being found, Stanley Kotowski's wife, Jackie Kotowski, posted on Facebook: "It is with deep sorrow that I share the heartbreaking news that Stan has been found. Sadly, he is no longer with us. Our hearts are heavy with grief as we begin to process this unimaginable loss.

"Zak, Ryan [Jackie and Stanley's sons] and I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who offered their support, shared information, and helped in the search efforts. Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us during this incredibly difficult time."

An autopsy by the Beaufort County Coroner's Office will positively identify the body and determine cause of death.

Newsweek has emailed the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office for more information.

Of his disappearance, Jackie Kotowski told WJCL 22 News: "He just walked out the door. He had really bad insomnia for about a month. He doesn't have dementia. His anxiety just kept getting worse and worse and worse, and he started to get a little paranoid. He thought someone was chasing him."

On her personal Facebook page, Jackie added that her husband was not a fan of the ocean in Hilton Head and of late had become concerned about "exposure to the sun, jellyfish and sharks."

In the days after he went missing, Jackie wrote on her Facebook page that the current theory was he was taking shelter and hiding nearby.

Kotowski was last seen wearing a dark Coors Light T-shirt, dark blue or black shorts and no shoes. He did not have a phone or a wallet on him when he went missing.

Ring doorbell camera footage released by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office showed Kotowski dressed in these same clothes and barefoot leaving his vacation rental at 10:30 a.m. on August 16.

Posts by Jackie Kotowski on her personal Facebook page show there was also a sighting of Kotowski at The Salty Dog restaurant and recreation facility on August 16.

The 11-day search for Kotowski included helicopters, boats, drones, foot patrons and canine units.

A Massachusetts man who had been missing for more than a week is believed 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, vanished Aug. 16 after he left the vacation rental property at Hilton Head Island where the family was staying. Law enforcement officers in Beaufort County, which includes the island, spent days searching the area for Kotowski, who was believed to be having 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 was believed to be Kotowski's, according to the sheriff's office.

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Stanley Kotowski left vacation rental with no shoes, phone

Kotowski and his family, who are from Methuen, about 30 miles north of Boston, were vacationing at Hilton Head Island when he disappeared.

Kotowski was last seen on the morning of Aug. 16 leaving his family’s 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.

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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, said 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, and 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

After sheriff's deputies were called at 11:30 a.m. local time Monday to a home at the Sea Pines resort, "the body of a deceased male was located underneath a residence," the sheriff's office said.

The sheriff's office said an autopsy would be performed.

Kotowski's family confirmed to WJCL that the body was 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 elagatta@gannett.com