Gardaí investigating the discovery of a man's dismembered remains in Dublin's Royal Canal are awaiting scientific results that may help identify his nationality.
The body of the black male was found on 31st March at two locations in water close to Ballybough Bridge.
Detectives have established the man was stabbed a number of times in the chest and abdomen before his body was dismembered at an as yet unidentified location.
The man's torso was found with a white coloured Ireland away soccer jersey.
The man's head has not been found.
Forensic scientists are currently analysing the man's body in an effort to identify not only what continent the man was originally from, but also his country of origin.
This involves a minute study of the man's bones as well as detailed toxicology tests.
Gardaí are liaising with British police and other European agencies and a number of African police forces as part of their investigations.
British police previously had remarkable success when forensic science aided their investigations into the murder of a young boy whose torso was found in the river Thames.
Scientists analysed the boy's body and were able to say the boy, named Adam by detectives, had travelled to England from a particular part of Nigeria, although his identity has not been established.
