HELENA – Helena Police Department leaders said Monday they are still investigating a body discovered last week as a suspicious death.
Pathologists at the state crime lab in Missoula are currently examining the body.
Two hikers reported finding the body Friday afternoon, on a hillside behind apartment buildings in the 400 block of West Main Street.
HPD Assistant Chief Steve Hagen said police believe the body is an adult male.
He said they will wait for the person’s identity and cause of death to be confirmed before deciding how to proceed with the investigation.
Lewis and Clark County Coroner Bryan Backeberg said the condition of the body makes it difficult to confirm an identity. He said he believes the remains had been there for “quite some time.”
Backeberg said the crime lab will now have to create a dental workup to make an identification. That could take at least two weeks.
He said investigators have an idea of who the person might be but don’t want to jump to any conclusions.
“What we want to work on is getting that person’s information, to definitely identify who we have,” he said.
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