Missing Bolingbrook man found dead in Chicago: police

Edward Gardner of Bolingbrook was reported missing in March 2022.

May 7, 2024, 7:20 p.m. (CDT). | Updated May 7, 2024, 7:30 p.m. (CDT).

OSWEGO, IL – A Bolingbrook man missing for more than two years has been found dead, Oswego police said Tuesday evening.

Edward Gardner was 22 years old when he was reported missing to Oswego police on March 14, 2022.

Subscribe to

Police said he lives in Bolingbrook but has family in Oswego.

According to authorities, Gardner’s family, who normally had daily contact with him, decided to report him missing after becoming concerned because he had not contacted their family since early the previous day. An acquaintance later reported seeing him in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood on the evening of March 13, 2022, Patch reported.

A few weeks after Gardner was reported missing, police said his rental car was found to have been involved in a multi-vehicle accident in Hammond, Indiana. According to a March 2022 press release, the driver and passenger of the rental car, a white 2021 Dodge Charger with Florida license plates, were seen fleeing the accident.

Police said they do not believe Gardner was one of the occupants based on information obtained during the crash investigation.

Oswego police said they have since worked with nearly 30 agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Agency, to locate Gardner. Multiple searches were conducted, including with the assistance of a K-9 unit.

In 2023, police said they identified “additional associates” of Gardner in hopes of speaking to them, but “some were murdered” and others did not cooperate with questioning.

On Tuesday, Oswego police said the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office had identified remains found in the city of Chicago as those of Gardner.

“During this challenging time, we ask the public to keep Mr. Gardner’s family and loved ones in their thoughts and prayers,” a police statement said. “While the missing persons investigation has been completed, the investigation into Mr. Gardner’s death is ongoing. The Oswego Police Department will continue to work with appropriate agencies.”