GUILTY Canada - Harmanjit Singh, 19, Hamilton, Ont, 27 Oct 2014

[dotr]

My heart goes out to Harmanjit's family, as they go through the difficult process,of viewing the body, then waiting for DNA confirmation.

 

[deugirtni]

Family of missing man says body not their son’s
Police recovered a body from this creek, just off Seabreeze Crescent.
Hamilton Spectator
By Bill Dunphy

After seeing the face of a man whose body was found in a creek-cut gully Monday, members of a missing Stoney Creek man's family said it is not their boy

....

"We will have to wait for DNA testing, but they do not feel it is him," Chahal said.

....

Present for the viewing where Chahal, Manjit Singh — the teen's father — Singh's girlfriend and three family friends. Most of the body was covered during the viewing.

"It wasn't very recognizable," Chahal said, clearly shaken by the experience.

The body was described by police as being in an advanced state of decomposition, making visual identification difficult. A comparison of a number of physical traits (scars, etc.) produced ambiguous results, Chahal said.

He acknowledged that the body was described to him as that of a young South Asian male. Singh is from the Punjab state of India and was here on a student visa.

....

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said they have seen a number of bodies wash ashore from the lake in the 50-plus years she'd lived there, suggesting it could have been washed up the creek by high winds this week.

....

Police previously said they will rely on a DNA comparison to be certain of any identification, a process that could take weeks. Toxicology tests — which can assist in assessing the cause of death — may take months, Chahal said the family was told.

,,,,

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5155081-family-of-missing-man-to-view-body-found-in-stoney-creek-basin/

 

[deugirtni]

I'm thinking that for LE to allow HS's family members (and quite a group of them too!) to view the body, they must have felt fairly certain that it could be HS. If HS had several identifying marks including 'cosmetic surgery', surely that marking at least would be able to be identified during autopsy. They have already confirmed that the body is that of a South Asian male. They should now have a general age and also hopefully a time of death. The neighbourhood near the storm sewer was talking about voices heard on Sunday night, but that kids party there frequently.. but if the body was as decomposed as it is, then the body wouldn't be from this week. I imagine that advanced decomp in combination with being in water would make it very difficult to look like the person the body once was, so I suppose it could still be HS. The waiting must be excruciating.

 

[deugirtni]

I believe in one of the pics of HS, it shows him wearing earrings with both ears pierced. I wonder if that much could be verified in that state?

 

[dotr]

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5...man-to-view-body-found-in-stoney-creek-basin/

" After seeing the face of a man whose body was found in a creek-cut gully Monday, members of a missing Stoney Creek man's family said it is not their boy.

"They feel it is not Harman," said family spokesperson Sunny Chahal Tuesday night"

 

[dotr]

If body does not turn out to be Harmanjit, this thread is still open for Stoney Creek unidentified remains.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...ney-Creek-Flood-Basin&p=11245317#post11245317

 

[loveisthemovement]

I grew up in this man's neighbourhood. I can't imagine the pain and stress of going through the viewing of the body, and then it isn't him. At least they would have some answers. Such a strange case.

 

[Dushi]

OMG

This family must be going through he**

 

[loveisthemovement]

Do we know who it is, if it's not Harmanjit?

 

[dotr]

Do we know who it is, if it's not Harmanjit?

The family does not believe it is him, awaiting results from DNA testing.

Today..

http://www.insidehalton.com/news-st...cause-of-death-for-body-found-in-flood-basin/

" An autopsy on the body of a man found in a Stoney Creek flood basin was unable to determine the cause of death, police said Friday

Further forensic examination of the remains will be needed, including DNA tests, Hamilton police said in a release.

The family of missing Stoney Creek teen Harmanjit Singh Chahal have said they believe the body is not that of their son, who has been missing since Oct. 27."

 

[deugirtni]

Autopsy can’t determine cause of death for body found in flood basin
34 minutes ago
Hamilton Spectator

An autopsy on the body of a man found in a Stoney Creek flood basin was unable to determine the cause of death, police said Friday

Further forensic examination of the remains will be needed, including DNA tests, Hamilton police said in a release.

The family of missing Stoney Creek teen Harmanjit Singh Chahal have said they believe the body is not that of their son, who has been missing since Oct. 27.

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5162648-autopsy-can-t-determine-cause-of-death-for-body-found-in-flood-basin/

 

[Elainera]

Wow what a strange case.


Is there any other South Asian man missing from that area?

If no COD was determined during autopsy toxicology tests might reveal it. Maybe drugs were involved for this person.


I think chances are high that it is indeed HS, although of course I hope it is not. But then, where is he?

 

[deugirtni]

How could no COD be determined, jeez! Surely they can tell if body was put into water before or after death, ie death by drowning or not? If not by drowning, then... it may be more difficult, but surely not impossible? Hopefully the test results will shed some light. And yes, if body is not his, then whose? And then where is HS? I'm not aware of any other Asian men missing in the area?

 

[Elainera]

If he drowned the autopsy would have stated that. Since the autopsy says that no COD could be established we can assume the person did not drown.

It is of course possible that COS could not be established because of advanced decomp. After several weeks there might not be much tissue left, but that largely depends on water temperatures.

 

[deugirtni]

Decomposition in the air is twice as fast as when the body is under water and four times as fast as underground.
http://www.memorialpages.co.uk/articles/decomposition.php

He was missing just under a month before body was found (if in fact it is him), and if decomposition is reduced by half if under water, jeez, you would hope there is enough there to get a COD.

What about all of these people pretty much known/presumed to be missing in 'water'.. ie there was a case I think it was last winter, when a little boy (perhaps autistic, I can't recall) wandered off and his footprints in the snow led to the edge of a river.. they searched for his body but it couldn't be found.. he had been home alone with his dad.. and his dad's footprints went following the boy's, so now there were 2 sets of footprints.. the boy's body was found later in the spring.. but.. if there is not enough left to determine anything, then how would one know in all of the cases LIKE that one, whether it was murder before going into the water, or if it was accidental drowning? Seems we'd have an awful lot of unknown deaths if nothing can be proven after only missing for one month. Very peculiar, IMHO, that no COD was found. I hope they have a different pathologist take a second look.

 

[Elainera]

It's likely he wasn't completely submerged in the water, but floating.

Still, you are right deugirtni, it is very concerning that autopsy did not establish drowning as COD. Does his mean he was dead when entering the water?

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5184230-body-found-in-stoney-creek-confirmed-to-be-missing-teen/

A body found in a Stoney Creek flood basin has been confirmed to be that of missing teen Harmanjit Singh Chahal.

Police announced Friday that DNA was used to positively identify the remains at the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto.

 

[deugirtni]

Very Sad.. haven't read the stories yet.. but I hope they are soon able determine what caused his death, sure doesn't sound like this would be the type of kid to be into drugs. If they can't find a COD and it's murder, then I guess a murderer walks free?

 

[deugirtni]

More news stories:

DNA identifies human remains as Harmanjit Singh: Hamilton Police
Singh disappeared in October last month without a trace
CBC News Posted: Dec 05, 2014 5:07 PM ET Last Updated: Dec 05, 2014 5:07 PM ET

DNA testing has identified the human remains found floating in a flood basin in Stoney Creek in late November as 19-year-old Harmanjit Singh, Hamilton Police said late Friday afternoon.

Police said a post-mortem examination did not reveal a cause of death. Police are continuing forensic examination of the remains.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/dna-identifies-human-remains-as-harmanjit-singh-hamilton-police-1.2862549

Remains verified as Harmanjit Singh
Posted: December 5, 2014 08:14:38 PM | Last updated: December 5, 2014 08:42:18 PM

....

We just got off the phone with Harmanjit Singh’s uncle Sunny who lives in Brampton He tells us they just found out the devastating news a couple of hours ago and right now they are consoling each other.

....

Right now, no word if foul play is suspected. His uncle says his family is coping with the news and will be planning his funeral.

http://www.chch.com/remains-verified-harmanjit-singh/

 

[loveisthemovement]

I never understand how no foul play can be expected when they don't know COD.