Two children and their father were inside a car that was found engulfed in flames late last week near Barrie, Ont., Ontario Provincial Police confirmed Wednesday.
Authorities positively identified the remains found in the vehicle as belonging to 36-year-old Mississauga man Samuel Masih and his two young sons.
Neighbours identified the boys as 10-year-old Tyrese and four-year-old Santosh.
“With respect to the cause of death as identified through the post-mortem examinations, police will not be releasing that information at this time,” OPP said in a news release Wednesday.
"Obviously I think members of the public can respect that this family has undergone a very difficult number of days," OPP Sgt. Peter Leon told CP24.
The family was reported missing to Peel Regional Police at about 1:30 a.m. on Friday, July 4 by the mother of the children. Hours later, at 5:41 a.m., police in Barrie were contacted by firefighters who were called to put out a car fire on Holick Road, north of the 4th line in Oro-Medonte Township.
Firefighters who put out the blaze told police they discovered what they believed to be three bodies inside the vehicle.
By 6 a.m., officers had contacted Peel Regional Police to inquire about the missing persons report that was filed on a shared law enforcement database. Both police agencies worked together to identify the bodies.
"The possible connection between the two investigations was not released to the media at the request of the OPP in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation and allow the family members some privacy under these tragic circumstances," police said in a news release.
An autopsy on the remains was completed Tuesday, confirming suspicions that the two cases were indeed connected.
Leon said investigators are still trying to determine exactly what happened when the family disappeared but wouldn't confirm any details about what may have led to the tragedy.
"With respect to specifics of the family, those are very private matters," he said. "That's something the OPP is not in a position to confirm or speak to, nor would we in those circumstances."
