The remains have been identified as Orrin Mastin of Bath,
New York. Mastin was last seen on
January 18th, 2013, and was subsequently reported missing to the Bath Village
Police Department. At the time of his
disappearance, Mastin was 53 years old.
An investigation conducted in 2013 by the Bath Village
Police Department failed to develop any viable leads. It was noted during the investigation that
Mastin did not take any personal effects with him when he was last seen,
including his medications, wallet, credit cards, personal effects, and stored
clothing. Mastin had not been seen or
heard from since the report.
On February 19th, 2017, a hiker walking through an
undeveloped area north of Wood Street and Muck Circle in the Town of Bath, came
upon what appeared to be human remains. The ensuing investigation determined that the remains were an almost
complete human skeleton that appeared to have been exposed to the elements for
a prolonged period of time. A
neighborhood canvass by responding Troopers and Bath PD Officers developed
information that redirected attention to the missing person report of Orrin
Mastin in 2013. The remnants of clothing
observed on the remains, closely resembled the last reported clothing
description of Mastin, and the location of the remains was consistent with his
last known direction of travel on foot.
The New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Uniform
Troopers from the SP Bath barracks, the Forensic Identification Unit based at
Troop “E” Headquarters in Canandaigua, and an NYSP K-9 Unit contingent
conducted a thorough search of the scene and the surrounding area in an effort
to uncover any further details or information.
The search did not yield any additional human remains or evidence to
suggest foul play.
The remains were collected in conjunction with the Steuben
County Coroner’s Office, and forwarded to the Monroe County Medical Examiner
for further action. Due to the lack of
available detail, the remains were then sent to the University of North Texas
Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) for analysis. The remains were reassembled and examined at
their Anthropology Center where DNA was extracted from the skeleton and
compared to DNA samples that were voluntarily provided by a known family
member.
After reviewing the 2013 report to the Bath Village Police
Department; the evidence collected and observed at the scene; the results of
the DNA comparison; and the conclusions compiled by the UNTCHI; Troopers were
able to establish the identity of the skeletal human remains as belonging to
Orrin R. Mastin. The investigation into the cause of Mastin’s death is
continuing, and foul play is not suspected.
