Missing Plymouth man with memory problems found dead

PLYMOUTH – Plymouth man with memory problems who went disappeared Tuesday was found dead after four days of searching.

Police say Rodney Riviello, 69, was found dead outside in Plymouth Saturday afternoon.

“We are devastated by the loss of our Papa and Papa. This entire ordeal has been extremely difficult and incredible,” the Riviello family said in a statement.

The family thanked Plymouth police and volunteers for their work in finding Riviello.

“We can never thank you enough.”

Rodney's body was found just steps from Bruce Zarro's home. “This literally happened in my backyard. We feel your loss and the volunteers gave everything they could,” Zarro said.

Neighbors remember Rodney Riviello

Zarro never met Rodney, but felt moved by his story.

“We had a lot of volunteers, a police presence, and they were so kind looking for Rodney, and yeah, I've never met him. We're just captivated by his story,” Zarro said.

In another part of the neighborhood, their weekly gathering turned into a moment to remember Riviello.

“It’s a sad day for our little neighborhood,” John Ready said. “We talk about Rodney everywhere we go.”

“Without exception, everyone said, 'This is so sad,' it's heartbreaking,” Barbara Ready said.

Reported missing after leaving hospital on Tuesday

Rodney went missing around 11:15 a.m. Tuesday after being released from Beth Israel Plymouth Hospital. Firefighters put him down after he suffered a head injury. His family said he had no phone or wallet with him and were not informed.

His children believe he was taking his daily morning walk when he fell and was found by two women who called 911. Beth Israel told the family he may have broken his nose, but released it after a few hours.

Rodney also suffered from memory problems due to mini-strokes.

“They wanted to give him stitches, which he refused,” Norris said. “His appearance might be altered. And they saw the damage to his brain from the strokes, so they knew he was mentally impaired. Our goal is to bring him home and later, We will make sure this doesn’t happen to other families.”

His family offered a $5,000 reward Friday for any information allowing his safe return.

The Plymouth community remembers Rodney as a loving father, grandfather and Yankees fan.