A pastor was found dead in his submerged car a week after he disappeared. His fellow clergyman believes it was a crime

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A week after his disappearance without a trace, a pastor and father of five children was found dead in his car in the Des Plaines River near Chicago.

And now a fellow pastor is claiming that it could be a crime.

Warren Beard, 53, assistant pastor of the New Israelite Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, was last seen on July 2 when he traveled to Joliet, Illinois, to visit friends.

He did not return home that evening and did not show up for work at the Preservation of Affordable Housing on Wednesday morning.

Before his body was discovered, his wife Wanda said it was uncharacteristic of him not to come home.

“My husband goes to work. He comes home, he goes to work out and he goes to church. That’s mostly … what he does,” she told Fox32.

“Not coming home is something he has never done in all these years. We have been married for 16 years.”

Beard’s aunt, Theresa Boss-French, told NBC Chicago: “We are all hurting right now. We all know that Reverend Warren Beard is not someone who just disappears without saying a word to his family.”

The family said Beard, a married father of five and popular member of his church congregation, often visited Joliet because he had friends in the area.

On Tuesday, Rockdale officials announced at a press conference that Beard had been found dead.

The 53-year-old’s body was found underwater in the front seat of his car shortly after 2:45 p.m. that afternoon, just hours after officials discovered video footage of the car plunging into the Des Plaines River about 137 meters west of Brandon Road in Rockdale.

The Rockdale Fire Protection District said in a statement that it was contacted shortly before noon by the Brandon Road lock master after he reviewed surveillance footage from the previous week.

The footage shows a vehicle driving into the water at around 10:47 p.m. on July 2.

Authorities say the footage shows the vehicle driving around a barrier and through a 5-foot-wide gap under a raised drawbridge before entering the river.

“It was small enough, a small enough vehicle, to make it under the bridge, along the road, into the river,” said Rockdale Police Chief Robert Bake.

The vehicle was located and found using sonar.

The Will County Coroner’s Office confirmed in a press release that Beard was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m.

An autopsy is scheduled to be performed on Wednesday to determine the cause and manner of death.

Chenier Alston, pastor of the New Israelite Missionary Baptist Church who served with Beard for 18 years at the church on Chicago’s South Side, insisted that Beard was not suicidal and suggested foul play may have been involved.

At a press conference, Alston said: “I want an answer to the question: Who did this?”

“The fact that his car fell off the bridge, (there) were barricades there that had to be bypassed,” he said. Church leaders reported.

“And we know how much he cared about his job, his wife and his children. So we just want answers. And whatever those answers are, we will get justice for him.”

He added: “That’s not his style. He wouldn’t abandon his family and not come home.”

“He was the greatest human being, one of the greatest men I have ever met in my life, and this is painful,” Alston said WLS. “We want answers. Words can’t even begin to describe how we feel.”

The Illinois State Police continues to investigate the incident.

If you are suffering from feelings of distress and isolation or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offer support. You can speak to someone free of charge and confidentially by calling 116 123 (UK and ROI), emailing [email protected]or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.If you live in the United States and you or someone you know needs mental health help right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline available to anyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you live in another country, you can contact www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.