The family of Wilfred Asham, who died last weekend in police custody, says the body they laid to rest this week does not look like the teen they knew, increasing their concerns about the circumstances of his death.

Asham, 19, was arrested around 12:30 a.m. CT Sunday during an investigation into a stolen vehicle in the Weston area of Winnipeg.

The family of Wilfred Asham say his nose was crooked when he was alive (top) but appeared straighter when they saw his body at his funeral (below).
(Family photos)

Moments after placing Asham in a holding room at the Public Safety Building, police said they realized he was not breathing. CPR was administered and Asham was rushed to hospital, where he died.

An initial autopsy found no obvious cause of death.

Asham was laid to rest Wednesday, but his parents say they were shocked when they saw his body — especially his nose, which they say was crooked from a break when the teen was alive.

"His nose is straight," said Sheila McKenzie, Asham's mother, after seeing her son's body. "His nose hasn't been straight for at least two years. Why would it be perfectly straight now?"

The teen's body also had bruising, and there was swelling around his right eye, his family says.

"I asked the funeral director if he had done this and he said he didn't," said Asham's stepfather, Louis Vosters.

Several possible reasons: chief medical examiner

Asham's family had hoped for the chance to review videotapes of their son's last moments in police custody. But although some rooms at the Public Safety Building are equipped with cameras, the room where Asham was held does not have one, police said.

Now the family says they want to file a complaint with the Law Enforcement Review Agency, which handles complaints against on-duty police officers.  They also want a second independent autopsy done.

"We believe that there is something terribly wrong here," Vosters said.

Manitoba's chief medical examiner said Friday that in cases like this one, there could be many reasons for the marks: Some could have happened during the autopsy, he said, noting also that Asham's body changed hands several times — from police to hospital to the morgue — before the family ever saw him.

Police refused to comment on the case, saying their investigation was ongoing.

The chief medical examiner expects to complete his final report on Asham's death in a few weeks.

Still, Asham's family says they won't rest until all of their questions about their son's death are answered.

"Not knowing what happened is the most disturbing part of it all," said McKenzie.