READING, Pa. – The Berks County Coroner’s Office has identified the human remains that were found at a vacant property in Reading and is investigating the man’s death as a homicide.
The coroner’s office said it identified the remains as Jose Rodriguez-Figueroa, Jr. 47, of Reading.
The remains were discovered Oct. 2 inside a vacant home on the 500 block of South 6th Street, the coroner’s office said in a news release.
The remains found at the property had previously been unoccupied for years, according to multiple neighbors.
Authorities said the incident began as a security check at the house. Police said the owner of the recently purchased property was on scene and discovered what appeared to be human remains in the home.
The coroner’s office said the forensic investigation involved multiple forensic disciplines.
That includes an autopsy performed by a forensic pathologist, examination by a forensic odontologist, forensic entomology analysis, and assistance from two teams of forensic anthropologists from the University of South Florida in Tampa, the coroner’s office said.
Several families contacted the coroner’s office with descriptions of missing loved ones, according to the news release.
The coroner’s office said the information the families provided helped investigators narrow the possibilities and focus their efforts on establishing the person’s identity.
The University of South Florida’s forensic anthropology team compared the available information with medical records and confirmed the man’s identity as Jose Rodriguez-Figueroa, Jr., the coroner’s office said.
The coroner’s office said the investigation remains ongoing and additional information will be released when appropriate.