A Siloam Springs man was found dead by his long-term girlfriend and a friend Saturday (Dec. 14) behind a house on Carl Street, according to local police.
Twenty-year-old Robby Williams was reported missing to the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service on Tuesday (Dec. 10). He was found at 101 S. Carl St. along a commonly-used shortcut behind the house. His body showed no signs of trauma, and police said they believe he may have died from the cold temperatures.
"Pedestrians cut through that yard to access that sidewalk and so, the homeowners said that it’s not uncommon to see people walking through the yard late at night," Siloam Springs police Sgt. Todd Brakeville said.
Williams was last seen at an E-Z Mart on Tulsa Street, according to Brakeville. Williams was seen beforehand that day leaving the Cherokee Casino in West Siloam Springs, Okla., early Monday morning (Dec. 9) by eyewitnesses.
It's not officially known what caused Williams' death, but investigators are not suspecting foul play, Brakeville said.
A blood sample was taken and sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for toxicology tests. Police suspect Williams' death may be a combination of below-freezing temperatures and the use of drugs and alcohol.
"It’s a terrible feeling knowing he’s out there somewhere, but nobody knows where, and the day after he was found, the sun comes outside," Williams' mother Eleanora Thomas said. "Before that, it had been freezing and it’s just terrible. You feel helpless."
Williams had an arrest warrant out of the Siloam Springs Police Department on suspicion of failure to show up in court for a misdemeanor interfering with governmental operations charge. Brakeville said police offered amnesty from the warrant when Williams was reported missing, in case he was running away from the warrant.
Williams leaves a 10-month-old son behind.
"What am I supposed to tell him when he’s old enough to know? It’s going to be hard. I never thought I would have to raise him by myself. I always thought Robby was going to always be here with me," Williams' girlfriend Kali Frisby said.