Niagara police are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying human remains found in 2013, in a river off Lake Ontario, near an area known as Smugglers Cove.

Investigators say the remains may have been in the water for at least one year, if not longer. The advanced state of decomposition has made identifying the cause of death impossible.

The remains were found by officers near Niagara River Parkway, south of the East West Line, in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake on the afternoon of July 21, 2013.

A post mortem was conducted at Hamilton General Hospital and forensic anthropologist was later able to determine the deceased was male.

In a news release issued Wednesday, police said they believe the deceased “had been in the water for a long period of time.”

Investigators said they compared the DNA profile of the deceased with the files of missing person’s cases in Canada and the United States, but the search yielded negative results. The police investigation was suspended pending new information.

In November 2013, the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service conducted an anthropological analysis that helped determine a biological profile of the individual.

According to Dr. Kathy Gruspier, the deceased may be between 40 and 60 years old with an estimated height between 5’5’ and 5’11. His ancestry may have African, with possible European ties.

The deceased also had dental fillings and teeth discoloration that suggests he were a smoker.

A 3D rendering of the deceased’s face has been released to the public in hopes that someone recognizes the individual.

“The key thing that I want the public to go away with when they look at the 3D reconstruction is that this represents a likeness of this person. The 3D reconstruction will not look like a perfect bust of this person,” Ontario Provincial Police Cst. Duncan Way said.

Way said the body was incomplete from the elbows-down and the ankles-down.

“My request would be that if you find there is something familiar about this story and you find the likeness of someone you believe you may know, reach out to the Niagara Regional Police,” Way said.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact Niagara Regional Police Detective Constable Sara Mummery at 905-688-4111, Badge 9427.