The body of a man reported missing in October 2025 after leaving Heywood Hospital has been recovered from Crystal Lake in Gardner, Mass., according to Joseph D. Early Jr..
Authorities identified the man as Leonard Mercury, 57, of Acton. He was last seen shortly before 2:00 a.m. on October 31, 2025, after leaving the Gardner hospital.
Initial search efforts by the Gardner Police Department were unable to locate him. Additional searches were conducted in the following months involving the Westminster Police Department, Massachusetts Environmental Police, and multiple specialized units of the Massachusetts State Police, including dive, marine, K-9, and emergency response teams.
On March 25, 2026, Gardner police conducted an aerial search of Crystal Lake using drones in connection with the case. The search identified what appeared to be a body in the water. The remains were subsequently recovered by the State Police Dive Team.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has taken custody of the body and will determine the cause and manner of death.
The investigation remains ongoing and is being conducted by State Police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, along with State Police Crime Scene Services, Gardner police, and Westminster police.
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