Police in Illinois were searching for former NFL player Sergio Brown after his mother was found dead from multiple assault-related injuries near a creek behind her home on Saturday, authorities said.
The Brown family alerted police after being unable to reach either of them, the Maywood Police Department said in a news release.
“Maywood Police officers initiated a missing person’s report and began attempting to locate both individuals,” the news release said.
Maywood, a village of about 23,000 people, is about 12 miles west of downtown Chicago.
The body of 73-year-old Myrtle Brown was discovered Saturday near a creek behind her home, police said.
Ms. Brown’s body was taken to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to Natalie Derevyanny, a spokeswoman for the office.
Ms Derevyanny said Ms Brown died from multiple injuries as a result of the assault and that her death was being ruled a homicide.
It was unclear as of Monday morning whether the authorities were any closer to finding Mr. Brown or whether they had obtained new leads about his whereabouts.
Carmen Rivera, public information officer for the Maywood Police Department, said Monday morning that she had no information about Mr. Brown beyond the original press release on Saturday.
Nick Brown, Mr Brown’s brother, took to social media on Sunday to ask for the public’s help in finding him.
“My brother Sergio is still missing,” Mr. Brown he wrote on Instagram. “If anyone knows where he is, I want them to know I love you and please come home.”
Mr Brown also said his mother Myrtle always told him that “hard times don’t last”. He added: “Our last conversation about hard times being temporary is my beacon of hope.”
Police have been called to Brown’s residence in the past, Carlos Cortez, a neighbor of the family, he told WBBMlocal news station.
“Her family came and knocked on the door looking for her because she had filed a police report because she had been missing for 72 hours,” Mr. Cortez told WBBM. “So we tried to help them as much as possible.
Mr. Cortez told authorities he last saw the Browns on Thursday, according to WBBM, and also gave them video from his doorbell.
Mr. Brown, 35, played for the University of Notre Dame before joining the New England Patriots as a defensive back in 2010.
He also played for the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars before ending his career with the Buffalo Bills in the 2016 season.
