Medical examiner: NY remains are autistic teen Avonte Oquendo’s
Human remains found last week along the East River belong to an autistic teen who walked out of his school more than three months ago and vanished, the medical examiner’s office said Tuesday.
Avonte Oquendo’s remains, a left arm and lower torso and legs, were identified through DNA given by his family. They were discovered Jan. 16 after a teenager shooting photos for a school project noticed the arm. Pieces of Avonte’s clothing were also recovered. A part of a skull was recovered a few days later.
The cause and manner of death were pending further study, the medical examiner said.
It was a sad end to a case that sparked a massive citywide search that included hundreds of officers, marine units and volunteers. Missing person posters were plastered on lampposts and placed on car windshields throughout the city.