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Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Steuben: Human remains identified...Troopers still investigating

New York State Troopers from the Bath barracks announce a development regarding the discovery of human remains in the Town of Bath by a hiker on February 19th, 2017.  
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.