On Saturday, November 25, 2023, the Norfolk District Attorney’s office confirmed that a body that was retrieved from a well in Massachusetts belonged to a 45-year-old man who lived at the property and had been missing for more than two months.
Keith McKechnie had been missing since September 7, 2023, after he left his home at 34 East High Street in Avon, Massachusetts. Known for frequently walking around his neighborhood, his sudden disappearance raised concerns among family and community members.
A relative, employing a GoPro camera, investigated a well on the property. This effort discovered what appeared to be McKechnie’s body, leading to a 911 call and subsequent retrieval of the body by Avon Police and Fire Departments with help from the Massachusetts State Police.
According to the victim’s cousin, Christine Connolly, the family had made calls for authorities to search the well, “We felt something nefarious happened because Keith didn’t have his wallet, cell phone or his glasses. The glasses were found by the well on the ground. We were told that they had determined that due to the well’s size and Keith’s build, he wouldn’t fit.”
Initial findings from the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, following an autopsy, have ruled out foul play. There were no obvious signs of trauma on McKechnie’s body. However, the investigation remains active, awaiting further details from a pending toxicology report.
McKechnie’s family had shared that he suffered from undisclosed health issues and might have been resistant to being approached. These factors may provide some context to the mysterious circumstances of his disappearance and subsequent death.
District Attorney Morrissey expressed his condolences, remarking on the sad outcome of the case. The McKechnie family’s grief is compounded by questions that remain unanswered.
The case has drawn attention with people asking why the well was not thoroughly searched earlier by authorities, despite the family’s insistence.
The Avon police department had solicited the public’s help last week in locating McKechnie.