Missing Plymouth man with memory problems found dead

PLYMOUTH – The man from Plymouth with memory problems who missing on Tuesday was found dead after a four-day search.

Police announced that 69-year-old Rodney Riviello was found dead outdoors in Plymouth on Saturday afternoon.

“We are devastated by the loss of our father and dad. This entire ordeal has been extremely difficult and unbelievable,” the Riviello family said in a statement.

The family thanked Plymouth police and volunteers for their work in locating Riviello.

“We will never be able to thank you enough.”

Rodney’s body was found just steps from Bruce Zarro’s home. “It literally happened in my backyard. We feel your loss and the volunteers did everything they could,” Zarro said.

Neighbors remember Rodney Riviello

Zarro never met Rodney, but was touched by his story.

“We had a lot of volunteers come to us, there was police presence there and they were kind enough to look for Rodney, and yes, I never met him. His story just captivated us,” Zarro said.

In another part of the neighborhood, their weekly meeting became a time to remember Riviello.

“This is a sad day for our little neighborhood,” said John Ready. “We’ve talked about Rodney everywhere we go.”

“Everyone, without exception, said, ‘This is so sad,’ it breaks your heart,” said Barbara Ready.

Missing after leaving hospital on Tuesday

Rodney disappeared around 11:15 a.m. Tuesday after being released from Beth Israel Plymouth Hospital. Firefighters dropped him off after he suffered a head injury. His family said he did not have a phone or wallet with him and they were not notified.

His children believe he fell during his daily morning walk and was found by two women who called 911. Beth Israel told the family he may have broken his nose but released him after a few hours.

Rodney also suffered from memory problems due to mild strokes.

“They wanted to stitch him up, but he refused,” Norris said. “His appearance might be wrong. And they saw the damage the strokes had done to his brain, so they knew he was mentally impaired. Our goal is to bring him home and later make sure this doesn’t happen to other families.”

His family offered a $5,000 reward on Friday for any information leading to his safe return.

The Plymouth community remembers Rodney as a loving father, grandfather and Yankees fan.