Sunil Tripathi went missing on 16 March and was wrongly implicated by Reddit users in the Boston Marathon bombings

This article is more than 7 years old

This article is more than 7 years old

Sunil Tripathi was wrongly implicated online in Boston Marathon bombing. Photograph: Barcroft Media

Authorities in Rhode Island are working to determine whether a body found in Providence Harbor is that of a Brown student missing since March who was mistakenly linked with the Boston bombings last week.

Providence police lieutenant Joseph Donnelly was quoted as saying "it's very, very possible" that the body could be that of Sunil Tripathi, 22, who went missing on 16 March.

Tripathi was wrongly implicated in the marathon bombings by Reddit users who erroneously claimed he was the suspect wearing a white cap in photos released by the FBI.

That suspect was later identified as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, who is in hospital and has been charged over the bombings. There is no suggestion that Tripathi had any involvement in the explosions.

Lindsey Lague, a spokeswoman for the Providence police department, said the body was found in India Point Park in Providence Harbor on Tuesday. She said the identity of the body would be confirmed in an autopsy on Wednesday.

Dara Chadwick, a spokeswoman for the Rhode Island department of health, said authorities "have no confirmation at this time" on the identification.

Donnelly told the Globe on Tuesday night that the body could be Tripathi. The undergraduate student at Brown University left behind his ID, wallet and cell phone.

Tripathi's family set up a Facebook page to try to find him, featuring videos and photos of their search. Dozens of people contributed messages after Tripathi was wrongly linked to events in Boston.

"A tremendous and painful amount of attention has been cast on our beloved Sunil Tripathi," his family said in a statement after Tripathi's name began trending in relation to Boston. A Reddit moderator later apologised.