A former NFL player is still missing after his mother was found dead near a creek in a suburb of Chicago, local police have confirmed.
Sergio Brown, who is a former safety for the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Buffalo Bills, has not been seen since his mother’s body was discovered near to her home.
She is suspected to have died by homicide, although police have not released the name of any suspect yet.
73-year-old Myrtle Brown was found unresponsive in a small river near to her home in Maywood, Illinois, before the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed her death on Sunday.
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She is believed to have died from injuries consistent with physical assault, leading the police to open up a homicide investigation, CNN reports.
The elder Brown’s sister, Sheila Simmons, said that she was told on Sunday that her nephew and sister were missing, before going over to her house and discovering that there were a few things out of place.
Upon the second check of the creek near to her home, after police had attended on a missing persons report, Simmons said that she and her family found Myrtle’s body.
Sergio Brown’s whereabouts are still unknown, although a search – let by Maywood Police Department – is ongoing.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Sergio’s brother Nick Brown paid tribute to his mother, who he described as a ‘strong, caring, diligent, fancy, [and] funny’ woman.
He wrote: “Mom always told me, ‘tough times don’t last’ and our last conversation about tough times being temporary is my beacon of hope.”
Nick also sent a message to his missing brother, urging him to come home and share any information he has with the police.
“I want him to know that I love you and please come home,” Nick Brown continued.
A neighbour of Myrtle Brown, interviewed by WBBM said of her: “Myrtle, she was an outstanding woman, and I’m hoping she’s in the right place and she’s with God,
“Like I said, I never would’ve expected this in a million years.”
Anyone with any information pertaining to the case or Brown’s whereabouts is urged to contact Maywood police at 708-368-4131 or the department's anonymous tip line at 708-450-1787.
35-year-old Brown played his college football at Notre Dame before he signed a contract with the New England Patriots in 2010 as an undrafted free agent.
He went on to play seven seasons in the NFL, featuring for a number of teams in that time.
Brown has not featured in the NFL since 2016.
Tom Wood