Missing Person Photo Gallery: Search For Robert Long Enters Week 2

JOLIET, IL — The mother of Robert Long, the missing 37-year-old Joliet man who lived with her at the Riverwalk Homes apartment buidings on North Bluff Street, has not backed off fears that her son remains underwater in the Des Plaines River canal, just outside their building.

As the Joliet Fire Department rescue boat surveyed the deep canal for Long's body late Friday morning, Jewell Robinson was joined by several dozen relatives, friends, supporters and members of the Joliet Police Department and Joliet Fire Department to conduct a neighborhood search for her missing son in the St. John's Area.

Searchers walked the houses along Broadway Street, Hickory, Summit and Center streets in hopes of finding any clues surrounding Long's mysterious disappearance.

Long has not been seen for more than a week.

Long's mother told Joliet Patch her son was last seen standing alone outside Building 316, which is photographed at the bottom of this article. It was dark at the time, perhaps 9 or 10 p.m., on Thursday, April 11.

Robinson told the Joliet City Council at Tuesday night's meeting that she feared her son is in the water.

So far, the Joliet Police Department has found no physical evidence, no clothing or belongings of Long anywhere since his disappearance, according to Joliet Police spokesman Dwayne English, who present at Friday's community search.

"Our detectives have come back to the Riverwalk Homes area and conducted an extensive canvass of the interior and the exterior of this area," Sgt. English told Friday's crowd of journalists. "Other than that, our detectives continue to follow up on any leads, which I'm told right now, there aren't many leads. And just finding and identifying any family or friends of Mr. Long who have had recent or past contact with him.

"Our detectives have been checking camera surveillance, however, I don't have the information that any leads have come from that," English explained. "Right now, our detectives are continuing to do everything they can. It continues to be a priority for our investigations division and at this point, our detectives are considering all outcomes. Obviously, we want the most positive outcome to locate Mr. Long, however, our detectives would not be doing their job if they did not consider all possible outcomes in cases such as this."

Joliet police detectives have found no evidence indicating Long was harmed by someone, English confirmed.