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Remains found in Montgomery County belonged to 34-year-old man who recently arrived in the country, coroner says

The skeletal remains of Isaias Hernandez-Geronimo were discovered in a retention basin in March.

A news conference held to identify Isaias Hernandez-Geronimo, as the the man whose remains were found in a Towamencin Township retention pond earlier this year. Jeremea, front left red shirt, the brother of Isaias Hernandez-Geronimo, Dr. Janine Darby MD, Montgomery County Coroner, and Casey McAlpine, First Deputy Coroner holding the photograph, at the Montgomery County Coroner's Office in Eagleville, PA, July 30, 2024.
A news conference held to identify Isaias Hernandez-Geronimo, as the the man whose remains were found in a Towamencin Township retention pond earlier this year. Jeremea, front left red shirt, the brother of Isaias Hernandez-Geronimo, Dr. Janine Darby MD, Montgomery County Coroner, and Casey McAlpine, First Deputy Coroner holding the photograph, at the Montgomery County Coroner's Office in Eagleville, PA, July 30, 2024.Read moreJessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

When Montgomery County work crews discovered skeletal remains alongside a backpack in a shallow retention basin during the spring, there were few clues leading to the person’s identity.

But DNA analysis revealed that the remains found in Towamencin Township in March belong to Isaias Hernandez-Geronimo, 34, who went missing about two years ago, just months after he had arrived in the country.

Montgomery County Coroner Janine Darby, speaking during an news conference Tuesday, said that identifying Hernandez-Geronimo has brought closure to his family — even as his cause of death remains unknown and his case is closed.

“It’s very emotional for us, it’s sad,” Darby said. “We’re happy to provide closure to the family.”

Hernandez-Geronimo was a husband and a father, according to the coroner, and lived near the wooded area by Welsh Road and Grist Mill Drive where workers discovered his remains March 18.

Forensic analysis found there was no evidence of foul play, Darby said, and his cause of death was listed as undetermined.

But other details — such as Hernandez-Geronimo’s country of origin and whether he had any medical conditions — were not offered by either officials or his family.

When asked why the man’s family did not report him missing two years ago, Darby said that she did not want to elaborate, and that she was considering the privacy of Hernandez-Geronimo’s family.

Hernandez-Geronimo’s brother attended the news conference and answered several questions in Spanish. He mostly declined to elaborate on those details.

DNA and dental analysis along with forensic anthropology allowed experts to identify the remains.

“Based on some of the evidence, we were able to find his family, then swab his brother, and then match,” Darby said of the process.

Darby added that the discovery of skeletal remains is a rarity in Montgomery County, with these types of cases often appearing years apart.

“We still have a few that we have not identified,” Darby said, mentioning other unidentified remains in her office’s care. “So that’s why we’re feeling a sense of gratification that we did something.”