(U-WIRE) BOSTON – The Office of the State Medical Examiner Tuesday confirmed that a body found in the Charles River near Boston University Monday evening was that of College of Fine Arts professor John Daverio, who had been missing since March 16.
Medical Examiner officials completed an autopsy Tuesday morning and confirmed the body’s identity with dental records, the Middlesex District Attorney said in a statement. The Medical Examiner reported the cause of death to be drowning, according to the DA, though the statement said the manner of his death is “undetermined at this time.”
BU Police and Boston Police are continuing to investigate the matter, officials from both departments said Tuesday.
BU officials spent the day updating community members and the press Tuesday with a press conference at 3 p.m. and a session for the CFA community at 5 p.m. CFA interim dean Walt Meissner and School of Music director Andre de Quadros also sent CFA students, faculty and staff e-mails about the situation shortly after 1:30 p.m.
BUPD Cpt. Robert Molloy at the press conference said there was no sign of foul play, and BUPD and BPD officials are “still checking into various aspects of the situation.” He said there was “no trauma to the body,” based on contusions discovered in the autopsy.
BPD Cpt. William Evans said no possible scenarios for Daverio’s disappearance have been eliminated. Though some have speculated Daverio could have committed suicide by jumping off the bridge, Evans said police officials are not leaning toward any one of the possible alternatives. Daverio could have simply slipped on a patch of ice, Evans said.
“We don’t want to jump to any conclusions,” Evans said. “We’re still looking into the possibility that he slipped into the river.”
Evans said it is possible police officials may never know how Daverio died, unless a witness comes forward with solid evidence. Because the physical effects of slipping and falling off a bridge are so similar to those of jumping off a bridge, autopsy records had little to point detectives in any direction.
Molloy said police detectives do have a “witness affiliated with BU” who saw him exiting the building, but he refused to offer further specifics.
“We hope with this information someone will come forward,” Evans said.
A Northeastern University men’s crew coach found the body Monday evening after his boat almost ran into it about a quarter-mile downstream from the BU Bridge. The body was pulled ashore near BU’s DeWolfe Boat House on the north side of the river, near the Cambridge Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Boston Fire Department officials were called to the scene at around 7:30 p.m. Monday, and state police from the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office reported to the scene shortly thereafter.
Evans said the body took three or four weeks to surface due to its weight. After it had decomposed enough, it began to float to the river surface, where it was found Monday night.
Law enforcement officials had searched the river before, Evans said, but Daverio’s body had not turned up.
Daverio was last seen on a CFA security camera exiting the building at around 8:45 p.m. March 16, Molloy said. He was carrying a white plastic bag and looked like he was heading east, according to Molloy.
Daverio lived in Allston and would have turned to the west if he were headed home, Molloy said. Police officials determined Daverio’s walking direction from his final posture on the videotape, he said.
