Just spoke with the officer in PEI... they are going to call and get Mr. Lopez' dental records to compare to their John Doe. He did say that he had spoken with the forensic anthropologist that handled the reconstruction and based on the pictures available of Mr. Lopez, he does not believe it is him. He is going to confirm with dental records and promised to let me know whether it was a positive match or not.
He was very willing to give me additional information on the case and the area so I got a good bit of insight about where this gentleman may be from. He said the area has a good volume of international trade vessels coming in and out regularly. The forensic anthropologist also indicated that some of his dental work -could- be of Eastern European origin, though he can't definitively say. Based on this information and the fact the detective said it is unlikely that he was carried into this inlet by currents, I'm really starting to think he was in the area on some sort of vessel, whether it be trade or pleasure, and either went overboard or drowned close to shore. I am more inclined to think he went overboard, as I can't imagine someone going into the water fully clothed as he was for an afternoon swim! What resources are there for missing people from Europe? I wonder if there are records of ships that came in to that harbor during the weeks and months prior to him being found. When he calls me to let me know about Mr. Lopez, I may ask him if such records exist.
Have we been able to determine where his clothing most likely came from? If he was wearing American or Canadian-made clothing, I would tend to lean towards him being a tourist, rather than on a working vessel.
Let me know what you all think!