Search for missing Winsted man ends in tragedy
George Madore was a long-time volunteer at the Winsted Open Door Soup Kitchen.
As part of his regular routine, Madore would stop at Cumberland Farms for coffee in the morning and then walk on Main Street for several hours, a close friend told CT Insider.
"He loved walking because it was freedom,” Lorraine Morey told the news outlet.
The 71-year-old was reported missing May 25, when he hadn’t been seen or heard from in five days.
A little over a month later, on June 26, his body was found by teens playing in the area along the bank of the Mad River, near Bridge and Main streets, less than a mile from his home. His identity was confirmed a few days later.
Police said Madore’s cause of death is still under investigation by the medical examiner’s office, but they do not suspect foul play.
For weeks, the Winchester Police Department searched for Madore, with help from Torrington officers doing grid searches with drones and Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police sharing their expertise of the local trail systems and the terrain, especially within the Algonquin State Forest, officers said.
Madore was last seen in the Chestnut Street area, close to his home, and it is unclear how he ended up on the banks of the river, police said, but that they are continuing to follow up on leads.
Anyone with new or relevant information is urged to contact the Winchester Police Department at 860-379-2721 and reference case number 25-3971.