I would think if he had gone off and killed himself, by now, he would have been found. Usually people want to give their friends/family closure at some point.
If he needed privacy/space, I'd think he would have called LE or a family member to say, I am alive, but need time away. I thought it was one or the other of these things. But IDK
When some people need space, they don't talk to anyone. If you have children you might let them know, other than that not so much.