Police are still searching for answers in the drowning death of an Austin middle school teacher.

Riad Hamad's body was pulled from Lady Bird Lake Wednesday afternoon. Many who knew the 55-year-old were shocked by his death, but others say they saw warning signs.

Many considered Hamad a peace activist.

 “(He was) always in a good mood. Never upset. Never even heard him say a harsh word about anybody which is why it is so shocking,” said Joshua Howell, who knew Hamad.

Family members filed a missing person’s report on Hamad Monday when he never returned home from picking up a prescription at a nearby pharmacy. When police found Hamad's body in the water at Festival Beach his hands were bound with duct tape. He also had tape over his mouth.

“Right now the indications are this was not, there was not foul play involved. The bindings, although I can't go into the extent of them, they are the nature that it's possible he could have done this to himself,” said APD detective, Joseph Chacon.

Family members and others who knew Hamad well told police that Hamad had recently been stressed out and had suicidal thoughts.

He was involved in a Palestinian organization called the Palestinian Children's Welfare Fund (PCWF). Hamad publicly announced that the group worked with the Holy Land Trust, a church group out of Los Angeles. It provided aid to Palestinian refugees and children.

However, Hamad had also been investigated by the FBI.

“I thought it was a joke, because if anybody knows me, they would know that I wouldn't do anything to hurt anybody,” said Hamad on video at www.freespeech.org.

On Thursday, the FBI said that Hamad was a person of interest at one time, but they wouldn't comment on any investigations. A KVUE search of public records showed no criminal history.

Hamad thought he was being watched because of his ties to the PCWF.

“Awww - you found out about me, used clothes for people to stay warm. This is what it is. I bet this is what did me in. This is what did me in. Well I'm glad I have witnesses I've had these in the garage for two months,” said Hamad online at www.freespeech.org as he unwrapped boxes of clothing that were turned away for shipping to Palestine.

“He would get things from Palestine, hand-made items...prayer shawls, boxes, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, (and) stuff like that,” said Howell.

Howell is the Assistant Manager at the mail office where Hamad had a P.O. Box for deliveries of the PCWF.

“He was in every day checking to see if he had any packages, for a while there he was getting packages everyday, big packages that he was taking out, selling, and then sending the money on,” said Howell.

Howell said Hamad closed out the mailbox two weeks ago and passed on a forwarding address to California.

Meanwhile Hamad continued his job as a teacher at Clint Small Middle School in South Austin. He taught Keyboarding class in the Career and Technology Department to about 90% of the student body. Faculty and students there were devastated to hear of his death.

“I really found him to be a wonderful, giving person,” said Sheila Anderson, school principal.

He had been at Clint Small Middle School since it opened in 1999.

Police are still investigating his death. An official cause has not been released. His body remains at the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.