The body of a street minister who'd been missing since April 19 was found Monday in the Cal-Sag Channel near Blue Island, authorities said.
Kelvin Washington, 25, drowned, an autopsy revealed, but investigators said they don't know how it happened. There was no trauma to the body.
Washington's mother, Carol Hall, believes there's foul play involved in her son's death.
"Kelvin didn't go near water if you paid him to do it, and even if he's around a pool, he stays way back away from it," she said Wednesday, explaining that a childhood tragedy made Washington fear the water.
Family members said the father of two spent his time preaching about God on the streets and helping the homeless.
"He loved life so much, he wanted to do so much, he had so many ideas," said Hall.
She said her son was called five years ago by the Lord to preach. He'd been living with his wife in Atlanta up until last September when they decided to divorce.
He has two daughters, a 3-year-old and a 5-month-old. Hall said her son never laid eyes on or even got the chance to hold his youngest girl.
Community Activist Andrew Holmes shares Hall's belief that Washington's death was no accident. He said he believes Washington was kidnapped.
Hall had a message for anyone who may have been involved with his death: "They took something very precious from this earth, someone who’s loving and giving and would have given anything to anyone."
