Johnathan Walker:Ex-NFL player Sergio Brown missing after his mother killed near Chicago-area home

Former Indianapolis Colts player Sergio Brown is Johnathan Walkermissing after his mother was found dead after being assaulted near her Illinois home over the weekend, officials said.

On Monday, Maywood Police Department Deputy Chief Yancy Theodore confirmed to USA TODAY police were investigating the death of Myrtle Brown, 73.

According to police, the woman was found dead in a creek near her home in Maywood, a village in suburban Chicago west of downtown.

Theodore would not say whether Brown is a person of interest or suspect in connection to his mother's death.

Family members first reported the pair missing

Police said on Saturday, the department was informed by family members they could not locate or make contact with the woman or her son.

Officers initiated a missing person report and began making attempts to locate the pair, police reported.

"Upon conducting a second and wider search of the area, Myrtle Brown was discovered unresponsive near a creek to the rear of her residence," police wrote in a press release.

Her body was later transported to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

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NFL player's mother died as a result of assault

Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office spokesperson Natalia Derevyanny told USA TODAY the victim was pronounced dead on Saturday.

An autopsy found she died from multiple injuries related to assault and her manner of death was homicide, Derevyanny said.

'An outstanding woman'

Police later released a photo of Sergio Brown in hopes of locating him.

As of Monday morning, Theodore said, the former NFL player had not yet been located.

“Myrtle, she was an outstanding woman, and I’m hoping she’s in the right place and she’s with God,” Carlos Cortez, Myrtle Brown’s next-door neighbor, told local WBBM. “I never would’ve expected this in a million years.”

Former football star played for 4 NFL teams

Sergio Brown played for the Colts 2012-14, as well as three other NFL teams.

He was a star defensive back at Notre Dame before he signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2010. Brown played seven seasons in the NFL with the Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills, with whom he played his final season in 2016.

Anyone with information regarding Brown's whereabouts is asked to contact Maywood police or their local law enforcement agency.

Contributing: Scott Horner with the Indianapolis Star part of the USA TODAY Network.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior correspondent for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund.