Identification of body found near Bay Bridge could take weeks

State of decomposition makes identification difficult, officials say

A boater discovered decomposed remains in the Chesapeake Bay south of the Bay Bridge in Anne Arundel County shortly before noon on Sunday, Maryland Natural Resources Police said.

The remains were sent to the Chief Medical Examiner's office in Baltimore for an autopsy, police said. Because of decomposition, the age, gender and race of the victim could not be determined, officials said. It could be weeks before the autopsy is completed and more details are revealed, a Natural Resources Police spokesman said Monday.

After the boater reported the discovery, the NRP and the Coast Guard responded to the area. The Coast Guard located the remains and turned them over to the NRP, whose Special Operations Division is investigating the incident.

Baltimore Sun reporters Jean Marbella and Steve Kilar contributed to this report.