Chicago man Richard Garcia’s drowning ruled ‘undetermined’

An Illinois man whose body was pulled from the Chicago River amid a startling spate of water deaths was found to have drowned, though the manner in which he died was ruled “undetermined,” officials said. 

Richard Garcia was found to have drowned in the river after disappearing from his South Side home in March, a spokesperson for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office told The Post.

The 46-year-old’s body was recovered April 13 from the waters near the Columbus Drive Bridge. 

His loved ones said he was still wearing his FedEx uniform when his remains were located.

While the cause is now known, investigators have so far been unable to determine the manner of his death, which ranges from homicide or suicide to accidental, natural or, as in this case, “undetermined.”

Users on a Facebook page dedicated to Garcia’s memory referenced his mental health history and their belief that he took his own life. 

Garcia was one of at least 16 people whose bodies were removed from Chicago-area waterways since the beginning of 2022. The manner in at least six of those deaths was listed as “undetermined.”

Victims recovered from Chicago-area waters: 

• Noah Enos, found June 2023. Cause/manner: pending
• Unidentified woman, found May 2023. Cause/manner: unavailable
• Richard Garcia, found April 2023. Cause: drowning, manner: undetermined
• Seamus Gray, found April 2023. Cause: drowning, manner: undetermined
• Joel Orduno, found March 2023. Cause: drowning, manner: undetermined
• Anthony Rucker, found February 2023. Cause: drowning, manner: suicide
• Krzysztof Szubert, found December 2022. Cause: drowning, manner: accident
• Peter Salvino, found December 2022. Cause: drowning, manner: accident
• Hayward Brown, June 2022. Cause: drowning, manner: accident
• Daniel Sotelo, found May 2022. Cause: drowning, manner: undetermined
• Natally Brookson, found May 2022. Cause/manner: undetermined
• Karina Pena Alanis, found April 2022. Cause: drowning, manner: suicide
• Yuet Tsang, found April 2022: Cause: drowning, manner: undetermined
• Unidentified woman, found April 2022. Cause/manner: unavailable
• Unidentified man, found April 2022. Cause/manner: unavailable
• Kathleen Martin, found March 2022. Cause: drowning, manner: undetermined

One of the latest to be pulled from the water was 26-year-old Noah Enos. Enos’ body was recovered June 17, five days after he vanished following a rock concert at a local music hall, the Salt Shed, roughly a block from where he was found.

Officials have yet to release the cause and manner of his death.

His family is working with private investigators “to find justice for Noah,” his father, Steven Michael Enos, wrote on a GoFundMe page.

Enos’ girlfriend, Nicole Wijs, fought back tears during a vigil last month as she said: “I know Noah wasn’t the first one to go missing and be found in the river, and I sure as s—t hope that he’s the last.”