Divers searching in Illinois for a missing person last summer found remains later identified as John Pisano Jr., an Army veteran who vanished in 2001 at age 39. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office says the cause and manner of death remain undetermined as
For months, the pond lay quiet in Hodgkins, Illinois—until divers pulled up something that would reach back decades.
The Chaos Divers team said divers looking for a missing person last summer discovered remains now identified as John Pisano Jr. a father who first went missing in 2001 when he was 39 years old. according to Chaos Divers and his online obituary. The remains were found in a retention pond next to a Target shopping center in Hodgkins, according to the divers.
Chaos Divers described the discovery as an “unexpected recovery,” adding that the identification means “now, his family has answers.”
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said on Tuesday, May 26, that Pisano’s cause and manner of death are both undetermined. The Hodgkins Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday, May 26.
The years before that Tuesday were already marked by loss and uncertainty. Pisano’s obituary describes him as a son. a brother. and a father. and says he served in the U.S. Army. It also portrays him as someone who “carried himself with confidence and charisma. ” always making sure he looked good. and joking with loved ones that he favored actor John Travolta.
The details in the obituary are intimate—music, style, and the habits that became familiar to family. It says he listened to Ozzy Osbourne and KISS. liked to spend time dancing in his platform shoes and leather jacket. and made sure “not a hair was out of place” on his head. It also notes he played softball.
“He could be stubborn at times, but beneath that strong personality was a deeply caring man who loved his children immensely,” the obituary reads. “Family meant everything to him, and his love for his kids remained constant throughout his life.”
Those words are part of what makes the timeline hit harder: the disappearance began in 2001, and the identification only came through a search that, as the divers put it, was not expected to deliver an answer tied to that long-ago case.
Before the remains were tied to Pisano. the divers said someone created an account on EverLoved—an online platform that allows families to raise money and share information with friends and family—to help his family with memorial services. The obituary also says Pisano suffered from a mental illness, described as “a battle he carried quietly for many years.”.
“Though his life was marked by hardship and loss, John will be remembered for his spirit, his style, his love of music and dancing, and the deep love he held for his family,” the obituary reads. “He was loved deeply and will be missed by many. May he finally rest in peace.”
John Pisano Jr. Hodgkins Illinois retention pond Chaos Divers 2001 missing person U.S. Army veteran Cook County Medical Examiner cold case identification EverLoved