A body was found in the Charles River at approximately 8:17 a.m. Thursday, according to Elizabeth Vlock of the Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office.
“The body of an unidentified deceased male was recovered,” Vlock wrote in the email. “The Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and Massachusetts Police are investigating this matter. No additional information is available at this time.”
The body was found by a jogger who reportedly saw it floating near the Longfellow Bridge, Ryan wrote in an email. The Massachusetts State Police Marine Unit responded and was able to recover the body from the water.
Tracey Maclin, a professor at Boston University’s School of Law, specializes in criminal law and procedure. He explained how investigations with cases similar to this one are usually handled.
“They might do some DNA, they might put some ads up on television and they might make a composite sketch of what they think is the face,” Maclin said.
Maclin added that the water from the Charles could have an adverse affect on the investigation and complicate the procedure.
“The water can kind of obscure and bloat the face, but they might put some composite sketches on television and ask people if they know the individual, to call or contact the authorities,” He said.
Maclin said identifying the body would most likely prove to be the key issue.
“They have to identify who the person is, obviously,” He said. “Maybe follow up missing person reports — that’s another avenue. They might take fingerprints, if that’s still possible.”
Maclin also explained that the next procedural issue will be examining the cause of death in order to determine the next step in the investigation.
“I’m sure there will be an autopsy done to find out the cause of death,” Maclin said. “If it’s a suicide, there is no one to bust. If it looks like a homicide and they are going to want to find out who did it, they will want to find out who that person is and the cause of death.”
Several Boston residents said that though they were horrified by the discovery of the body, they were not surprised by the occurrence.
Jill Agnello, 37, of Back Bay, said she thinks this type of case is common for a big city like Boston.
“It’s pretty appalling,” Agnello said. “I guess you kind of know stuff like this probably happens a lot and it sucks, but it [happens].”
Daniel Mojica, 28, of Fenway, said it was surprising to see what area of Boston the body was found in.
“It’s not surprising in any major city,” he said. “Being found in the nicer part of Boston is what’s most surprising. If this happened near Dorchester, it would be less surprising. Of course, it’s always shocking to see a dead body.”
Mojica also noted the bittersweet consequences for the family of the young man.
“On one hand, it’s sad, but also at the end of this, it could put an end to someone’s grieving to the find the body and finally know what happened to someone,” he said. “You’re putting an end to the questions.”
Evelyn Averin, 29, of Fenway, said she was surprised the body was found in the Charles.
“It’s not very surprising in a big city,” she said. “What’s shocking is that it was near the Charles. You don’t really hear about those things in this area. If it were found in the harbor, it would be way less interesting.”
A previous version of this story referred to Tracey Maclin using the wrong gender pronouns. This correction is reflected in the story above.
Kennedy serves as a city associate for the Daily Free Press. A freshman, she studies English with a minor in philosophy. As a journalist, Kennedy shows special interest in crime and local politics. You can follow her on Twitter at @stellarkenn.
