No ID yet on body pulled from Providence River

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Police have not yet identified the man whose body was found floating in the Providence River on Saturday.

Detective David Lapatin said police are having trouble identifying the man — believed to be in his 40s or 50s — because his fingerprints are “not as sharp as we’d want it to be.” Lapatin said the man had been in the water “for more than a couple of hours,” which affected his fingers and hands.

Lapatin said officers are waiting for the results of an autopsy, which should be completed by the end of the day Monday.

If police are not able to identify the man through missing-person searches, fingerprints or dental records, they may seek the public’s help, Lapatin said.

On Saturday at 1:30 p.m. police swarmed the Providence River behind Dyer Street after a man reported seeing a body floating in the water. Firefighters waded into the water to bring the man ashore, but he was already dead, police said at the time.

The investigation is ongoing, Lapatin said.

— jtempera@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7121

On Twitter: @jacktemp