Police have still not confirmed the identity of the body discovered in Prince Albert last week.

The body was discovered in the 400 block of East 19th Street on October 16, and police were called to the scene around 6 p.m. that evening.

Forensic investigators could be seen parked next to a wooded area on the East Hill, where it appears the body was discovered.

Identifying the remains appears to have been a challenge for police.

After performing an autopsy Tuesday, all police could say in a news release the next day was that they “determined the remains to be a male.”

Since investigators called in a forensic anthropologist to conduct the autopsy alongside a medical examiner, the body itself may have been in a state of decomposition or difficult to recognize for other reasons. Forensic anthropologists specialize in the analysis of hard tissues such as bone.

CTV News reached out to Prince Albert police for more details on the challenges investigators face in trying to identify the body, but Police Chief Patrick Nogier said his team wanted to ensure the investigation process is not hampered by public disclosure.

“Given the uncertainty and unknown circumstances of the actual death, we are reluctant to provide additional details on the final resting position of the body at this time,” Nogier said in an email.

“An approximate date range for the death has been determined, but we do not know whether public release of this information would help or hinder the progress of our investigation.”

Police have not determined whether foul play was involved, but Nogier says police generally consider each death suspicious until they can prove otherwise.

“This event continues to be very difficult, but it is a very active investigation for our police department.”

Nogier says investigators’ main concern right now is identifying the body so they can bring closure to a family whose loved one is missing.