SHAWANO (NBC26) — Friends of Nathaniel Robinson, 34, are remembering him as a good man with a kind heart after the Shawano County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that his body was found in the Wolf River near Sturgeon Park.
Robinson had been missing since Tuesday and was found dead just over a week after being released from prison through an earned release program.
Aulesia Martinez, Robinson's friend, reported him missing Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. and learned of his death Wednesday at 6:15 p.m.
"He's a good guy. He's a real good guy," Martinez said, struggling to comprehend her friend's death.
Robinson had been released from prison just over a week before his death through an earned release program after pleading guilty to felony drug charges in 2024.
Despite his legal troubles, Martinez emphasized her friend's character.
"He made some dumb choices, but his heart was still good and it was still in the right place," Martinez said.
Martinez said she won't stop fighting until she learns exactly how her friend died.
"Anybody that's seen anything, just come forward and speak up. Because I lost somebody that's very dear to me right now, and it's really hard," she said.
An investigation into Robinson's death is underway, but both the Shawano Police Department and Shawano County Sheriff's Department are not commenting further on the case at this time.
The discovery of Robinson's body in the Wolf River has left his family searching for answers while grieving the loss of someone they describe as having a good heart despite past mistakes.
NOTE: This story has been edited to correct the relationship between Robinson and Martinez.
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**The previous version of the story can be found below.**
The body of a missing man was located in the Wolf River yesterday—one day after he was reported missing, according to the Shawano County Sheriff's Office.
Nathaniel Robinson, 34, was reported missing on Tuesday. The next day, the sheriff's department announced that Robinson had been located.
Then, today, Chief Deputy Ty Raddant announced that Robinson was dead, saying his body had been recovered from the river Wednesday afternoon near Sturgeon Park.
Raddant said a death investigation has been started.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call (715) 526-3111.
