Body recovered from Chicago River is likely missing MA man Matthew Soumakis

Matthew Soumakis, 31, of East Longmeadow, MA, had been reported missing by his family on December 6 after he disappeared while in town for a conference. However, on Tuesday a body was recovered from the Chicago River that is most likely that of the Massachusetts businessman, Matthew Soumakis, who has been missing for two weeks.

Matthew Soumakis, 31, of East Longmeadow, Mass., had been reported missing by his family after he disappeared Dec. 6 while in town for a conference.

“We think it is Matthew Soumakis,” Sgt. Eugene Mullins said, although he said investigators were awaiting autopsy results to confirm the identity and determine whether foul play was involved.

An autopsy had not yet been performed Tuesday evening, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

What a tragic end to this story as Matthew Soumakis was just married last February and his wife is four months’ pregnant expecting their first child. God bless them all.

Chicago Tribune: River body ID’d as missing Mass. man

A body found floating in the Chicago River Tuesday was identified as a 31-year-old Massachusetts man reported missing Dec. 5 from the downtown hotel where he was attending a business conference.

When police marine unit officers pulled the body from the icy waters near Halsted and Division Streets, they found Matthew Soumakis’ identification still in his pockets, police said. Soumakis’ cousin, who had helped coordinate a manhunt over the last two weeks, later identified the body.

An autopsy was planned for Wednesday, and investigators were still trying to determine how and where Soumakis went into the water. A detective involved in the case and private investigator Perry Myers said Soumakis was anxious about work. He had recently been promoted to manager at a financial software firm, SS&C Technologies.

Read the full Chicago Tribune article as there is some interesting information on when they believe the time of death may have been due to Soumakis’ clean-shaven face and the fact that he was wearing an identification tag from his conference.

Berman said his cousin’s smooth face suggested that he died in the morning, because all of the men in the family have heavy beards and develop a shadow of stubble early in the day.

December 21st, 2005 at 01:48am Posted by Administrator | autopsy, Search and Rescue, Missing, Found Deceased, Missing Adult | one comment