Family Confirms Body Pulled From Pond Is Missing Mokena Man

MANHATTAN, IL — A body pulled from a retention pond in Manhattan Sunday has been verified as that of a Mokena man missing for several days.

Katie Hollingsworth, mother of Robert Hollingsworth, 29, confirmed to Patch late Sunday that her son's body had been discovered in a pond in Brookstone subdivision Sunday morning.

In sharing the news with Patch, Hollingsworth reflected on her son, affectionately known as "Robbie."

"I would want people to know that he had a heart of gold," she said. "He loved his family and friends and always knew that he was truly loved by so many people, despite whatever his struggles may be. Robbie had a great sense of humor, and we’ll never forget the sound of his laughter."

Police had been searching for Robbie, who was last seen around 2 a.m. on Sept. 13 near the scene of a crash on Route 52 and North Street, police said. Hollingsworth might have been injured in the crash, police and family have said. The family turned to social media in an attempt to find Robbie, with community members volunteering in a foot search supplementary to police search efforts. Hollingsworth expressed her family's gratitude to the community.

"We also want to send our most heartfelt appreciation for all of the support and compassion we have received from the community the past 4 days," she said. "All the people who searched for him and the Manhattan Police Department, who handled the situation with so much care and compassion. "

On Friday, Mokena Police Chief Brian Benton told Patch that authorities had conducted two drone searches, including one on Thursday in conjunction with Manhattan Police. Both searches were conducted near the scene of the crash but did not turn anything up, Benton said.

Hollingsworth’s mother had been concerned for Hollingsworth's mental health, saying he could be having suicidal ideations, mother Katie Hollingsworth told Patch previously. Hollingsworth planned a search for her son on Thursday afternoon but told Patch on Friday morning that there was nothing new to report in her son’s disappearance.

On Sunday, Zarnowski said that the Manhattan Police Department, along with search teams and personnel from various agencies including the Will County Sheriff’s Office and K9 unit, Mokena Police, and drone operators from Mokena and the Manhattan Emergency Management Agency have been conducting a week-long investigation searching for a man who was reported missing.

Determination of cause of death is pending an autopsy on Monday, Hollingsworth said.