Chicago Man Missing Since December Found Dead in His Closet, Buried in Clothing Piles, Mom Says

A Chicago man missing for six months has been found dead in his basement apartment buried under piles of clothes, his mother says.

Oscar Valenzuela, 47, was reported missing in March, when his family said they hadn't seen or heard from him since Dec. 13.

Chicago police asked for the public's help in locating the missing man when they issued a missing person's appeal for Valenzuela, an IHOP manager, on March 3.

His mother,Aida Lemos, said she has been looking for her son since he disappeared.

She told WFLD-TV that Valenzuela'sbody was found in his old apartment, wrapped in a blanket and buried in piles of clothes. The basement flat on Chicago's South side neighborhood ofBack of the Yards had been abandoned, she said, but there was food in the refrigerator and clothes and other items strewn around the apartment.

Lemos described her son as a good man and a hard worker who had survived cancer.

Chicago police said Valenzuela's death has been ruled a homicide. An investigation is ongoing. Police have not said how Valenzuela died.

No arrests have been made, authorities said.

Inside Edition Digital has reached out for further comment to the Chicago Police Department.

Related Stories