Body recovered on Schuylkill River island was a male, Berks coroner's office says
Aug. 29—The body found on a small island in the Schuylkill River near Douglassville last week was that of a still-unidentified male, based on a pathologist's preliminary report.
An autopsy was done on the mummified remains Sunday in Reading Hospital, but further studies were ordered to glean some distinguishable characteristics, Assistant Chief Deputy Coroner Debra Detweiler said Monday.
The body was found in Union Township the evening of Aug. 23 by some people looking for their dog that had run astray, Detweiler said. They found the dog in the area of the body.
State police and volunteers from fire companies assembled in the area of Route 724 and River Bridge Road to mount a recovery operation. Rough terrain along the riverbank and then darkness impeded their mission, and the body wasn't recovered until the next day.
Detweiler said the body had been exposed to the elements for several months, evidenced by the mummified, nearly skeletal condition.
A forensic odontologist will examine the teeth Tuesday and upload the dental profile into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database, Detweiler said.
She explained that it's one avenue for potentially identifying the remains, though there is no guarantee the unidentified person's family submitted his dental records.
After that procedure, a forensic anthropologist will examine the remains to estimate the person's age, height and other distinguishing characteristics.
Ultimately, Detweiler said, DNA analysis will be used to identify the deceased.
