Cause of death of missing Stanley Kotowski confirmed after he made a tragic request to his wife and then disappeared on vacation

A father whose body was found under a house after he disappeared on vacation committed suicide, according to the coroner.

Stanley Kotowski, 60, was reported missing on August 16, 2024, while vacationing with his family in Sea Pines, South Carolina.

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Ring camera footage shows the father leaving his home in Sea Pines, a community on Hilton Head Island, on the morning of August 16.

Kotowski's wife Jackie immediately called the authorities, who began a ten-day search for the man.

Kotowski's body was discovered under a building about four houses away from the site, Family remained.

When police searched the area on August 26, they noticed a foul odor.

They searched a hatch under a villa and found Kotowski's body – about 130 to 180 meters from where he was last seen.

The coroner believes Kotowski died on August 16, the day he disappeared, and confirmed that his cause of death was suicide by asphyxiation.

Jackie had previously told Fox News that her husband “just walked out the door” without his wallet or shoes.

“He had really bad insomnia for about a month,” she said. “This is a whole new thing. He has not dementia.”

However, she added that Kotowski's anxiety had gotten worse “and he started to get a little paranoid. He thought someone was following him.”

What we know so far

Stanley Kotowski, 60, disappeared on August 16, 2024, while vacationing with his family in Sea Pines, South Carolina.

The missing father's body was found on August 26, 2024, four houses away from where he and his family were staying.

What we know:

• Stanley Kotowski left the rental property on August 16 barefoot, wearing a T-shirt and dark shorts.
• Kotowski left his phone and driver's license on the property.
• Surveillance footage from the house showed the moment Kotowski left the house.
• Kotowski's family confirmed that the father's body was found on August 26.
• Beaufort County Sheriff's officials used dogs, drones and helicopters in their search.
• In addition, local residents joined forces to organize search parties.
• Jackie Kotowski, Stanley Kotowski's wife, had asked residents and vacationers to check their surveillance cameras or empty properties.
• The wife said her husband was suffering from anxiety at the time of his disappearance.
• The coroner confirms that Kotowski committed suicide by suffocation.

Kotowski, originally from Massachusetts, believed the Sea Pines development where they lived was a “trap” and claimed several times that people were “watching him,” Jackie said.

“She stated that Stanley made several statements that people at that location were 'watching him,'” a Beaufort County Sheriff's Office report said.

Before he left, Kotowski said to his wife: “Promise me you will carry on without me.”

INTENSIVE SEARCH

According to BCSO, helicopters, boats, drones and dogs were used in the search for Kotowski.

To find Kotowski, authorities entered his information into a nationwide missing persons database.

Jackie and her son Zak worked closely with the BCSO and vowed not to leave Hilton Head Island until their husband was found.

“The BCSO works very closely with us,” she said at the time.

“We feel fully supported by them. I have heard that there are effects that the police are not doing enough and the Family feels unsupported.

“That couldn't be more untrue. They have been great and we have complete confidence in their work. Any suggestion otherwise is unhelpful.”

The family has not yet commented publicly on Kotowski's death.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org or text the Crisis Text Line on 741741.

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