HALIFAX -- The RCMP has identified human remains found on a Nova Scotia beach that were part of a skull reconstruction effort.
The remains were found on a beach in Sandy Cove, N.S., shortly after 9 a.m. on Sept. 8, 2019.
Police confirmed the remains were those of a man, but they were having trouble identifying him.
Now, police say the remains have been positively identified through DNA analysis, and are confirmed to be those of a 43-year-old man from Saint John, N.B., who was reported missing late last summer.
Police are not releasing the man’s identity or cause of death, but they say his death is not considered suspicious.
Investigators released photos of the man’s clothing earlier this month and last week they released photos of a facial reconstruction of the man’s skull.
The facial reconstruction initiative is a partnership between the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service, RCMP, National Research Council and the New York Academy of Arts.
Members of the National Research Council travelled to Nova Scotia late last year to perform a 3D scan of the man’s skull. The scan was then printed and later turned over to the RCMP’s National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified remains.
The skull was one of 15 from Canada that were reconstructed at the New York Academy of Arts Forensic Sculpture workshop earlier this month. Students used clay to create facial reconstructions, which were photographed and posted on the Canada’s Missing website.
Facial reconstruction is used to identify unknown missing persons after traditional identification methods, such as fingerprinting and DNA testing, fail to produce a result.
