How Body Near Darien House Was Discovered Over Summer

DARIEN, IL – Darien police announced last week that the body of a Darien man had been discovered about a block away from his house.

But it was unclear how and where exactly the remains were found. Patch filed a public records request for the police report.

The man was identified as Scott D. Svencner, 60, who lived in the 1000 block of 79th Street. He went missing in 2022.

On the afternoon of June 19, police were called to the 7800 block of Brookhaven Avenue. A man had been doing yard work at his mother's house, accordng to the police report.

He was clearing weeds and overgrown brush near a shed in the backyard. He walked behind the shed and saw human skeletal remains on the ground, police said.

The man also saw pants and shoes near the remains.

The man told officers that he and other family members had tended the backyard for several years, but had never gone behind the shed.

An officer reported seeing the skeletal remains on the ground and in a wheelbarrow. Some of the remains were still contained within the clothing and shoes, police said.

On Sept. 22, Darien police said they received examination reports from the DuPage County coroner.

Svencner was identified through a comparison of implanted cervical spine hardware and its serial number to medical records at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, police said.

The coroner's office said Svencner's cause of death could not be determined.

Svencner was reported to be seen walking away from his house the day after Thanksgiving in 2022.

At the time, police said they did not believe Svencner had access to bank accounts or credit cards. He also did not take his phone or any personal property, police said.