Missing Man Found Dead Under House After Vanishing During Beach Vacation

Stanley Kotowski’s remains were recently found beneath a South Carolina home’s crawl space, ending a 10-day search throughout Hilton Head Island, authorities said.

A 60-year-old Massachusetts man reported missing during a South Carolina beach vacation earlier this month was found dead on Monday beneath a nearby home, ending a frantic 10-day search, authorities said.

Stanley Kotowski’s remains were found late Monday morning under a crawl space in the same Hilton Head Island neighborhood resort that he was last seen walking in on Aug. 16, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

Local security walking the area on Monday reported noticing a foul odor and flies coming from beneath a property in the Sea Pines neighborhood. A deputy was able to enter the narrow area, described as not more than 3 feet high, and locate Kotowski’s body hidden behind a pillar, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said at a press conference Tuesday.

Kotowski, who was said to be experiencing mental distress in the days before his disappearance, died from self-afflicted asphyxiation by hanging, the coroner said at the press conference following an autopsy.

“It’s mainly cutting off the flow (of oxygen),” Beaufort County Coroner David Ott said while declining to go into further detail about the manner, particularly concerning the amount of space beneath the house.