Where Is Kenny Babich?

A family is asking for the community's help in locating a missing south suburban man whose last contact with family was on Sept. 3.

Kenneth "Kenny" Babich, who will turn 40 at the end of this month, has struggled with fentanyl addiction for over 25 years and is currently living on the streets. Although homeless, his mother, Holly, says her son always kept in touch with his family.

Subscribe

"He's been in and out of detox programs," Holly said. "His phone is dead. If he doesn't have a phone, he'll borrow somebody's phone to call us. He'll tell us to answer the phone even if we don't recognize the number because it's probably him."

The longest her son has been sober since high school is four months, but life's setbacks will send him spiraling again.

"He was sober for four months at Phoenix House but when he got out, he relapsed," Holly Babich said. "I told him you're not well if you can't handle life's setbacks."

Kenny was always diligent about visiting his young sons and spending time with them at his ex-wife's house. After several weeks passed without hearing from him, his family became increasingly worried.

"His sons know their dad through face timing and visits," Holly told Patch. "This is uncharacteristic of him to go this long without contacting us. We haven't heard a darn thing."

Kenny was raised in Crestwood and is a graduate of Shepard High School. Now living in Tinley Park, his parents reported him missing to Tinley Park police, who could not immediately be reached for comment. He's been known to frequent Oak Lawn, Robbins and on the city's Northwest Side, particularly the Harlem-Irving Plaza in Norridge.

"He doesn't have a car. He has no possessions except for the clothes on his back," Holly said. "He lives on the train."

Throughout most of his adult life, Holly said her son has worked on and off in construction jobs. A therapist had diagnosed Kenny with bipolar disease, although his mother wonders if mental illness happened after he started doing drugs. He's worked at construction jobs on and off throughout his adult life. He's also known to Crestwood police.

"He has a police record, so he's been fingerprinted," Holly said.

Four years ago, Kenny overdosed on fentanyl at a Crestwood vape shop. He was evicted from his mobile home in Worth a year and a half ago, losing the last vestige of being a functional addict.

Now, his family is trying to get people to care about an almost 40-year-old man whose soul is buried beneath the the haze of fentanyl, that makes you sleep standing up on the pavement while hooked at the waist. Kenny's missing person flier has been shared on the Finding Dan Davis Facebook group, founded by Davis' daughter, Wendy Davis, during her three-month search for her missing 59-year-old father. Davis was eventually found deceased in a Blue Island trucking yard last March.

Holly said sharing her missing son's story on social media has garnered some leads. A woman called saying she thought she spotted Kenny at the Harlem-Irving Plaza in Norridge, one of the areas Kenny is known to frequent. They've checked the morgues in Cook and Will counties.

Another woman from a nearby hair salon thought she sighted Kenny at 147th Street and Cicero Avenue. The family is asking businesses in the area to please check their security video.

Hundreds more have shared Kenny's missing person flier on social media and sent Holly their heartfelt wishes. Their task has been made harder by the fact they don't know what clothing Kenny was wearing when he went missing.

"It has been all-consuming," Holly said. "If it weren't for God and prayers from friends, I wouldn't be handling it well at all."

Meanwhile, Holly compares her current situation to a popular pastor, who talks about the two tracks of life: one smooth and easy; the other track fraught with obstacles.

"On one hand, my life is great. I have beautiful grandchildren," Holly said. "On the other hand, I have a son who is struggling terribly with drug addiction."

Kenneth Babich is 39 years old, white, 6-feet-four-inches tall, 200 pounds, with black/gray hair and brown eyes. He has a black-and-white skull tattoo on one hand and a colored skull on his other hand. Kenny also has a tattoo of a tree on his back with an image of Jesus. He's been known to use public transportation, including CTA buses and trains.

Anyone with information about Kenny is asked to call 911 or the Tinley Park Police Department detective division at 708-444-5300; or text 708-307-3618.