Crime & Safety

Examination of Body Found At Sea Expected Today

State police transported the remains to the Office of the State Medical Examiner in Boston on Monday after the body was discovered four to five miles at sea.

 

The examination of a body found at sea Monday afternoon off the coast of Marblehead is expected to start this morning by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Boston.

The identity of the body is unknown.

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The body was very badly decomposed, according to the Essex County District Attorney's Office.

It is unclear how long the examination will take, said Carrie Kimball-Monahan, spokeswoman for Essex County DA Jonathan Blodgett's office.

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A boater found the remains floating about four or five miles at sea and called the Coast Guard at 3:57 p.m. Monday, said Jay Woodhead, a civilian search and rescue controller for the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard dispatched a 47-foot lifeboat to the location and the crew recovered the remains and transported them to the Coast Guard station in Gloucester, he said.

State police took possession of the body in Gloucester.

The victim was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Boston for further examination, a state police spokesman said.

Authorities will not release the name of the victim until next of kin are notified.   

The facts and circumstances remain under investigation by state police detectives from the Essex County District Attorney’s Office with the assistance of Swampscott police, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section, State Police Marine Unit, and the U.S. Coast Guard, the state police said.

The only missing person at sea report the DA's office is aware of is from almost a month ago in Swampscott when kayaker  was reported missing.

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