A 15-year-old boy's body was exhumed Tuesday to verify the cause of his death that occurred more than 20 years ago.
In 1992 – when Dwayne Biddersingh fell from his family's 22-storey balcony in west-end Toronto – it was deemed a suicide.
But 19 years later in 2011, after police discovered his sister was the victim of a 1994 homicide, they said they decided to re-investigate Dwayne's cause of death. They exhumed his remains Tuesday morning at a Vaughan cemetery.
Though police could not identify the homicide victim when they discovered her body in 1994, they found out in November, 2011, that it was Melonie Biddersingh after receiving a phone call from a "person of conscience."
A DNA sample of Melonie's biological mother in Jamaica confirmed that Melonie was the victim. Her body was found stuffed in a suitcase that had been set alight.
Her stepmother, Elaine Biddersingh, and father, Everton Biddersingh, were charged with first degree murder.
Melonie, who was 17 when she died, had been the victim of ongoing abuse, said Detective Sergeant Steve Ryan.
She was visiting the accused in Toronto from Jamaica when she was killed.
Detective Keith Bradshaw from Toronto Police Services said that an exhumation has never happened during the 35 years that he's been a part of the Toronto Police Services and that they're doing "due diligence" in Dwayne's death to make sure nothing was missed.
With files from Kristina Virro