Dayton police have identified suspects in the 2007 slaying of James Rembowski, the convicted sex offender who went missing in 2007 and whose body was found more than a year later in Preble County.

“This is an open on-going homicide investigation,” Sgt. Dan Mauch said Wednesday. “It has been determined that the homicide did occur in the city of Dayton April 13, 2007. We do have suspects in the case and we will be working with the MCPO to hopefully get charges. Once that happens we will be able to give further information.”

Officials with the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office and Dayton police said Tuesday they could not comment until Wednesday. But police entered a report on Monday that listed Rembowski’s death as a homicide.

Rembowski, 53, had lived on Huffman Avenue, and had an extensive criminal record that included a conviction in Florida for a sex offense.

Police went to Rembowski’s home on April 13, 2007 on the report of a disturbance. His roommates told them they last saw Rembowski packing a suitcase, News Center 7 reported in 2010.

On July 18, 2008, a passerby discovered a pile of bones behind an old barn on an abandoned property in the 7000 block of Lexington-Salem Road. In 2010, DNA testing identified the bones as being Rembowski’s.

Before his fate was known, a Montgomery County grand jury indicted Rembowski in Nov. 2007 for failing to register as a sex offender, leading him to be listed as one of the Miami Valley’s Most Wanted. His indictment was dismissed after authorities learned he was dead.