A person’s physique washed ashore close to the Ontario-US border over 20 years in the past. He lastly has a reputation | EUROtoday

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An American man whose physique washed up on the US-Ontario border greater than 20 years in the past has lastly been recognized, police mentioned this week.

In May 2003, a person’s physique was found off the Livingston Channel Detroit River, the Ontario Provincial Police introduced in a social media publish on Monday. He was sporting dark-colored pants, a darkish shirt, a winter coat and mountain footwear.

Police weren’t in a position to decide his identification for greater than twenty years. Several makes an attempt had been made to establish the stays however didn’t yield constructive outcomes.

A breakthrough got here in early 2023 when police submitted his DNA for a genetic family tree.

But initially obtained a “presumptive” ID however by September 2024 confirmed his identification as 48-year-old James Raymond Stewart, a person from Detroit, Michigan, who went lacking in November 2002. Police had been ready to make use of the DNA of a sibling to discover a match.

The man’s household later traveled to Amherstburg, Ontario to go to his headstone. Stewart’s dad and mom died earlier than they had been in a position to decide what occurred to him.

It’s not clear what induced Stewart to finish up within the river. His explanation for dying was undetermined, however foul play was not suspected within the case, Detective Inspector Randy Gaynor mentioned in a video launch.

Stewart was born on May 31, 1954. The man’s sister, who spoke in a YouTube video posted by police, described him as a “sensitive” and “quiet” individual. He liked jazz and consuming, one other sister mentioned. Stewart leaves behind three siblings.

Earlier in his life, the person served within the US Navy and labored in Detroit-area eating places.

One of his sisters mentioned the Thanksgiving vacation season is all the time “bittersweet” for her household as a result of that’s across the time he went lacking.

“It’s closure for us because we had no idea,” one of many sisters mentioned. “We’re just celebrating the fact that now we have closure.”

“We know where he is.”