A Irish man, John Delaney, went missing in 2000 and his family filed a missing person report with the local police in Manchester. Delaney had been living in a hostel in Manchester when he disappeared.RTE: Irish Man Presumed Dead is Found Alive (September 4, 2008) Despite public appeals with his photograph by police, social services and the family, no information was received. In Manchester in April 2003, a badly-discomposed body was discovered wearing similar clothes and having similar wounds. The coroner identified the body as John Delaney and the family held a wake and had the body cremated.
In April 2008, John Renehan was watching a television program about missing persons when he recognized his father, John Delaney. A DNA test confirmed Delaney's identity and he was reunited with is family.Daily Mail: 'Dead' Father Turns Up... (September 4, 2008)
Quotes
- "This is an awful situation for the man to find his father is still alive and he's had no contact with him. I have the greatest sympathy with the family. I think the public will appreciate this is a difficult situation where you have a very badly decomposed body. We will need to review what happened here with the coroner."—Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester policeGuardian: Five Years After Cremation... (September 4, 2008)
John Delaney News and Blogs
Daily Mail: 'Dead' Father Turns Up on TV (September 4, 2008)
RTÉ News: Irish Man Presumed Dead is Found Alive (September 4, 2008)
The Independent: 'Cremated' Father Found Alive (September 4, 2008)
Guardian: Five Years After Cremation... (September 4, 2008)
Fox News: Son Spots Dad on TV, 5 Years After Family ‘Cremated’ Him (September4, 2008)
BBC News: Man's 'Dead' Father on Television (Time: 4:39)
