GREENFIELD — Authorities have identified the human remains discovered on a Connecticut River island last month by children as those of Greenfield resident Brian Cornwell, who was reported missing in December 2020, the Northwestern district attorney’s office announced Tuesday.

The determination was made by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which had assisted the DA’s office and the Greenfield Police Department in collecting some of the bones on Aug. 24, the day after they were found by a group of children enrolled in an environmental philosophy program.

Cornwell’s cause of death remains under investigation by the Greenfield and Montague police departments, State Police Crime Scene Services and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the DA’s office. Laurie Loisel, spokesperson with the DA’s office, declined to comment on whether foul play is suspected.

A driver’s license belonging to a different man was found near the bones, but Loisel declined to answer questions about it citing an open investigation. Anyone with information that could potentially be helpful to the investigation is asked to contact the detective unit at 413-774-3186.

Greenfield Police took to social media in mid-February 2021 to request the public’s help in locating Cornwell, a Federal Street resident who was 57 years old when he was reported missing in early December 2020. He was described as standing approximately 6 feet tall, weighing 170 pounds and normally seen riding a bicycle.

Kurt Heidinger, who founded Biocitizen Inc. in 2009 to teach children about their environment and serves as its executive director, said a 7-year-old boy initially spotted the bones, which Heidinger first thought had belonged to a buck. Heidinger explained he and about two dozen others, including students and staff members, started at Poet’s Seat Tower on Aug. 23 and descended through the park to get to Rawson Island, in the middle of the Connecticut River. Shortly after arriving at 11 a.m., the 7-year-old soon noticed the bones and alerted Heidinger, who told the students they could revisit the bones after further exploration and having lunch.

Heidinger said that after the meal some youngsters went with a teacher to see the bones again. About 10 minutes later he heard shouting and a different young boy ran to him to say they moved some sand and found a skull, which Heidinger eventually saw for himself before alerting authorities.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.]]>