ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Mexican authorities said Thursday that genetic testing had confirmed that human remains found near a Pacific Coast beach town were those of a New York man who vanished while riding his motorcycle to Brazil for the World Cup.

Jose Villanueva, spokesman for the government of Guerrero state, said tests identified the decomposed remains as those of Harry Devert, a 33-year-old stock trader from Pelham, New York.

Villanueva said state prosecutors had turned the case over to federal prosecutors. That might suggest organized crime played a role in his death, since such crimes are federal offenses.

Devert told a friend on Jan. 25 that he was leaving the state of Michoacan to head for Zihuatanejo on the coast. That path runs through an area troubled by drug-related violence.

The remains and a motorcycle that was the same model as Devert’s were found in early July, about 16 miles (27 kilometers) from Zihuatanejo.

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