Remains of missing man discovered in Montco retention pond, officials say – NBC10 Philadelphia

The skeletal remains of a man found earlier this year in a pond in Towamencin Township turned out to be the remains of a man who had moved to the United States just two years ago and disappeared, officials said.

At a news conference Tuesday morning, Montgomery County Coroner Janine Darby said DNA testing determined the remains belonged to Isaias Hernandez-Geronimo, a 37-year-old man who lived near where the body was found.

“Mr. Geronimo recently moved to the United States and leaves behind a wife, children and extended family,” she said.

Darby said Hernandez-Geronimo had only lived in the United States for three or four months before he disappeared about two years ago. However, she did not know which country he had emigrated from.

Moreover, she said, his disappearance was never reported to the police.

When asked why he was never reported missing, Darby said she did not want to comment further, saying she wanted to respect the privacy of the man’s grieving family.

As they discussed the case, Darby became emotional for a moment, later saying the case had affected her personally.

“Today is an emotional day, firstly because we were able to identify a person who died alone and also because we were able to provide closure for the family,” she said.

According to police, the remains, now identified as those of Hernandez-Geronimo, were found on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, by surveyors working in the area of ​​Welsh Road and Grist Mill Drive.

Officials said workers initially encountered human skills in a catch basin at that site.

Darby said investigators found the skull, along with other skeletal remains, a backpack and a cellphone, at the crime scene, but had few other leads.

“It was just bones. We had the clothes, we had a backpack, but it wasn’t much to carry,” she said.

According to her, DNA testing helped identify the remains.

Darby also said that while authorities have not yet determined how or why Hernandez-Geronimo died, they now consider this case closed because there was no suspicious activity leading up to Hernandez-Geronimo’s death.