"While authorities have released the body of Terry Blanchette, Dunbar said she’s been told she may have to wait months — or as long as a year — before little Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette can be laid to rest.
“The hardest part about all of this right now is we don’t know when she’ll be returned, we don’t know anything about that. We keep getting told ‘maybe next week, maybe next week,’ ” Dunbar told the Herald."
Source ^^^
I read the following which explains the possible reasons for the delay in releasing HDB's body for burial:
"Where the police are investigating the death because they think a crime may have been committed, and when someone has been or may be charged with causing the death, the coroner may delay giving permission to bury the body so that the lawyers acting for the accused can arrange their own post-mortem. This can be very distressing for the family, but the coroner has a duty to protect the rights of the accused in this way.
If someone is charged with an offence and there is to be a criminal trial there will not usually be a full inquest as well. The coroner can hold an inquest after a trial but in practice this is very rare. If you think that there should be an inquest as well as a criminal trial, you will need to make sure the coroner knows your views and you may need to take legal advice."
"Can I stop it?
Bereaved relatives do not have to give consent for a coroner’s post-mortem examination to take place. However, if you feel strongly about this you should speak to the coroner.
If the coroner decides a post-mortem examination is necessary, the only means of stopping it is by a complicated legal procedure called a judicial review. It would be necessary to demonstrate that the coroner’s decision was unreasonable, i.e. because the grounds for wanting a post-mortem were in some way insubstantial. In reality the post-mortem is often carried out very soon after the death and the family may not have sought advice that quickly, or they may not have been informed that it is taking place. The coroner will not release the body for the funeral until the procedures required have been carried out."
"The coroner is only required to inform the relatives of the deceased of the time and place at which the examination is to be made, if the relatives have told the coroner that they wish to be informed. "
Source ^^^
Section 2.2: Post-mortem examination is a worthwhile read. Very informative. JMO
ETA: My guess is that LE are seriously looking at another suspect. A lot of people are murdered and a suspect is charged, yet the body is usually released in a resonable period of time for burial. JMO