Bust of unknown man created in hopes of cracking 1997 cold case in P.E.I.

CHARLOTTETOWN -- The RCMP are hoping a bust created through reconstructive technology will help identify an unknown man whose body was found in waters off P.E.I. nearly 17 years ago.

The bust of the man's head and face is the work of Sgt. Michel Fournier, a forensic artist with the New Brunswick RCMP, and Moira McLaughlin, a physical anthropologist at St. Thomas University in Fredericton.

Police say they hope someone will recognize the man's likeness and help solve the cold case.

It's believed the man was between 25 and 40 years old when his body was found June 7, 1997, in the waters of Malpeque Bay.

Police say he could not be identified at the time because of decomposition, and he was not carrying any ID -- only a small amount of money.

No formal cause of death could be determined but police say drowning was suspected.

The man's remains were exhumed in June 2010 in hopes of advancing the case.