Body found 5 years ago in Yukon's Lake Laberge identified
Police and coroner say remains found in 2016 belonged to Nathan Eugene Hine, originally of Alberta
RCMP and Yukon's coroner have identified the man whose body was found in Lake Laberge, solving a mystery that had stumped them for years.
In a news release on Friday, RCMP say the human remains found in May 2016 belonged to Nathan Eugene Hine. He was of "no fixed address at the time of his death," though originally from Alberta. Police say Hine would have been 32 years old at the time his body was found.
Hine's body had been found on the east shore of the lake by a local resident. He did not have any identification on him.
Police said at the time that they had no idea who the deceased man was, where he came from, or how he ended up in the water. Searches of the area, fingerprint analysis and missing person reports offered no clues.
Last month, they said an "extensive" investigation over the years had not yet solved the mystery, and they renewed a call for any help from the public.
RCMP say DNA samples ultimately helped investigators track down Hines's family. Police say they worked with Othram, Inc., a private, Texas-based lab that specializes in DNA analysis.
According to police, preliminary genetic analysis indicated the deceased man has distant relatives living in Quebec, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
"Further investigation with relatives in Saskatchewan was conducted and revealed an absent family member," reads Friday's news release.
Police and the coroner were then able to confirm Hine's identity earlier this month by DNA comparison. RCMP investigators also confirmed that Hine had been in Yukon from May to November 2015.
RCMP are still looking for information from anyone who may have had contact with Hine while he was in Yukon. They're asked to call or email the RCMP Historic Case tip line at (867) 667-5588 or MDIV_HCU@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.