Body Found On Assateague Identified.

The Maryland Medical Examiner has positively identified a body that was found at Assateague National Seashore last November as 36 year old Jung Han Lee of Silver Spring, Maryland. In late October, Dewey Beach Police found numerous personal items belonging to Lee on the beach, but an extensive search turned up no sign of the man. Lee was identified through a DNA sample and the ME says there was no sign of foul play.

NEWS RELEASE
Date & Time: November 6, 2010 @ 3:08 pm
Case #: 10-240
Location Occurred: Assateague National Seashore
Victim: Jung Han Lee Korean Male, 36 years of age Silver Spring, MD

Narrative:UPDATE

Through investigation of the unidentified body that washed up on Assateague National Seashore, it was learned that the Dewey Beach Police Department was investigating a missing person. Several personal items were left on the beach belonging to Lee and family members had not heard from Lee in several days.

Lee had been under mental duress for several years due to being unemployed. The items left on the beach were forwarded to the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation. During an examination of the body at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore, MD, no signs of foul play were noted.

Contact was made with family members who reside in Silver Spring, Maryland and an interview was held in December with those members. A DNA sample was obtained from Lee’s mother for comparison with the remains.

After comparison and analysis by a Virginia forensic lab, it was determined that the two samples matched. Investigators were able to positively identify the remains as those of Jung Han Lee. Family members were notified on February 11, 2011 which brings closure to this case.

The Dewey Beach Police Department closed their missing person investigation after receiving positive identification through DNA of Lee. Any further questions can be referred to the Dewey Beach Police Department at (302) 227-6363.

www.wgmd.com

Body Discovered On Assateague Still Unidentified

(Dec. 3, 2010) Investigators are still trying to determine the identity of a man whose body washed up on Assateague Island four weeks ago.

A park ranger found the body Nov. 6 while patrolling a remote stretch of Assateague Island National Seashore near the north end of the island. The body was badly decomposed and clad only in a pair of jeans and a belt when it was found in the surf.

Cpl. Jon Johnson of the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation, the lead detective working the case, said the body did not match any current missing persons cases from the area.

Investigators continue to check with law enforcement agencies in the region when new missing persons reports are made. Johnson said no new reports filed in the weeks since the body was found matched the description.

Police described the body as an adult white male, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing between 140 and 160 pounds.

The body was clothed in Levis denim blue jeans and a black Patagonia belt.

The body was sent to Baltimore for an autopsy at the Medical Examiner’s Office to make an identification and to determine the cause of death.

The condition of the body when it was found prevented police from determining whether foul play was involved.

The medical examiner has not yet completed the examination of the body so police are still waiting for those results, Johnson said Tuesday.

The area where the body was found is considered one of the most remote areas of the park, located almost seven miles north of the state park and two kilometers south of the Ocean City Inlet.

The area can only be reached by boat from Ocean City or by traveling along the sand in a vehicle.

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