The body recovered from Newry Canal after a two-day search is that of missing father-of-two Gareth O'Connor, the PSNI confirmed last night.
A postmortem had failed to identify the remains. But lengthy DNA tests concluded they were those of Gareth O'Connor, who has been missing since May 2003.
"DNA tests have confirmed that the remains discovered last Saturday were those of missing 24-year-old Armagh man Gareth O'Connor," the PSNI said.
The O'Connor family declined to comment last night when contacted by The Irish Times. A police spokesman said the PSNI investigation was continuing.
"Detectives from the Crime Operations Department are continuing to actively investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Gareth O'Connor. It remains a major line of inquiry that he was murdered," the spokesman said,
Mr O'Connor, from Armagh city, was last seen alive just over two years ago as he drove south through the Armagh village of Newtownhamilton in his blue Volkswagen Golf.
He was facing charges of belonging to the Real IRA, and was travelling to Dundalk to sign on at the Garda station there under his bail terms.
Detectives believe the car had been in the canal since Mr O'Connor vanished. It was discovered close to Victoria Lock, near Newry, Co Down, after a two-day operation involving members of the PSNI's underwater search unit.
Claims that he was an informer have been denied by his family, who insist the Provisional IRA murdered him.