The father of Mariam Makhniashvili, whose remains were found last month after she was missing for 2 1/2 years, has been denied permission to attend his daughter's funeral on Saturday, the family's lawyer said.
The decision was made by the warden of the Millhaven Institution, where Vakhtang Makhniashvili is serving a six-year sentence, said lawyer Calvin Barry. Mr. Makhniashvili pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in relation to stabbing three people since his daughter disappeared in 2009 at age 17.
"I think he's fine," said Mr. Barry, calling his client a "model prisoner."
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Mr. Barry had said earlier that Mr. Makhniashvili would likely be able to attend with a guard. But he was told of the decision on Thursday, which he said was partially based on Mr. Makhniashvili's court-ordered psychiatric assessment. It found he suffered from delusional disorder, potentially brought on by the disappearance of his daughter.
Calls to Correctional Service Canada about the denial weren't returned Thursday evening.
Ms. Makhniashvili went missing months after she and her brother moved from the Republic of Georgia to reunite with their parents, who had been living without their children in the United States. The search for Ms. Makhniashvili captivated the city as police canvassed thousands of homes, scoured parts of the city by helicopter and interviewed every student at her school.
Her skeletal remains were found last month by two men walking beneath the overpass near Yonge Street and Highway 401. The skeleton was identified as Ms. Makhniashvili earlier this month. Police say there's no evidence to suggest there's anything suspicious about her death, which was caused by a fall from a significant height and would be consistent with an accident or suicide.
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But police are still investigating. Last week, they shut down part of the highway to look for more evidence.
With a report from the Canadian Press