CHICAGO, IL — A woman trying to find the source of a strange odor in her Chicago house opened a closet door and found the body of her 18-year-old son, who was last seen on Halloween, police said yesterday.

Joseph Gooch had alcohol problems and had been treated periodically for mental problems, Det. Nick Gaudio said. An autopsy was being performed to determine how long the man had been dead and how he died, Gaudio said.

Gooch was known to hide in various places in the house.

Patricia Gooch, 59, told police her son might have been using drugs.

"We have no reason to suspect that he has been killed," Gaudio said, noting that Gooch "was known to hide in various places in the house."