Chicago Man Missing for Six Months Found Dead in Abandoned Basement


A Chicago man, who was missing for six months, has been found dead in his apartment which is a basement apartment.

He was wrapped in a blanket and buried under piles of clothes, according to his mother. 

Oscar Valenzuela, 47, was reported missing in March after his family had not seen or heard from him since December 13, 2023.

Chicago police appealed to the public for help locating Valenzuela, an IHOP manager, by issuing a missing person’s notice on March 3. 

His mother, Aida Lemos, had been tirelessly searching for him since his disappearance.

Lemos revealed to WFLD-TV that Valenzuela’s body was discovered in his former apartment, wrapped in a blanket and hidden under heaps of clothing. 

The basement apartment, located in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, had been abandoned. 

Despite this, there was food in the refrigerator and clothes and other items scattered around.

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

Chicago police have ruled Valenzuela’s death a homicide, and the investigation is ongoing. 

Authorities have not disclosed the cause of death, and no arrests have been made so far. 

 

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