The family of a missing Chicago man is pleading for help in finding their son who disappeared after he was involved in car accident in late January near Libertyville.
Thomas “Tommy” Howe, 24, lived in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood, but was driving to his family’s home in Antioch on Jan. 22 when he crashed into another vehicle on Interstate 94 near mile marker 16, according to Antioch police.
The Antioch Police Department says a witness saw Howe walk away from the crash scene toward the Old School Forest Preserve. That was the last confirmed sighting of him, according to police.
Howe's personal cell phone was left inside the vehicle. Authorities found his work cell phone about a quarter mile into the forest preserve.
On Friday, the Antioch Police Department held a joint press conference with Howe’s parents and pleaded for anyone with information about his disappearance to step forward.
Investigators revealed that more than 200 tips from across the county have come in since Howe was reported missing last month. One of the tips involved a reported sighting in Las Vegas. As of Friday, Howe’s whereabouts were still unknown.
Tom and MaryMargaret Howe are offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to their son’s whereabouts. The family has also set up a Facebook page for people to leave tips and learn more information about Tommy.
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“Due to Tommy’s nature, personality and extremely strong bond with our family, we find this entire incident completely out of character,” said MaryMargaret Howe. “We are fearful he suffered a pretty good head injury during the accident, causing him great confusion.”
Tommy, an Antioch native, is the oldest of three siblings and recently graduated magna cum laude in chemical engineering from Miami University in Ohio.
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“He’s the first person to drop everything he is doing to help someone else out,” said Tom Howe. “He’s always there for others.”
Police says hundreds of people have joined the local search for Tommy Howe, using personal aircrafts, drones, K9s and large search groups. Most of the searches were conducted in and around the Old School Forest Preserve.
On Friday, investigators said no other physical evidence has been recovered besides Tommy's two cell phones. They also stated that there was no direct indication that he was severely injured. However, there’s no evidence that he wasn't.
Anyone with information about this case can call the Antioch Police Department tip line at (224) 788-4409 or email a tip to tips@antioch.il.gov.
