Investigators identify man's remains four months after he was found in Towamencin Township, Pa. pond
TOWAMENCIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- We now know the name of a man whose skeletal remains were found months ago in Towamencin Township, Pennsylvania.
In March, a worker discovered a skull and remnants of clothing in a water retention basin on Welsh Road and Grist Mill Drive, but for months authorities did not know who the man was.
On Tuesday, the Montgomery County Coroner's Office identified the man as Isaias Hernandez Geronimo, 34.
"He was a good person. He always loved to work. He had goals," Geronimo's brother said in a statement. "He wanted to move forward. He wanted to be an important person."
Montgomery County Coroner Dr. Janine Darby said the remains had been there for about two years. She became emotional discussing the investigation.
"No one should die alone and be alone in death. No family members around. Unknown. No care," Darby said.
Investigators used DNA testing to confirm Geronimo's identity.
The news has put Geronimo's family in a state of grief.
"We feel very sad. We felt sadder when we first heard about the news. It gave us a lot of sadness for the whole family," his brother's statement said.
Darby said since investigators only had bones, they do not know how Geronimo died. Evidence at the scene and conversations with the family did not indicate anything suspicious, but the cause of death will be marked down as undetermined.
In a news release, Darby thanked her office's team, the Towamencin Township Police Department, the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, forensic specialists Dr. Ian Hood, Dr. Anna Delaney and Dr. John Nase; and Guardian Forensic Sciences of Abington, Pennsylvania.