'Cremated' Dad Reunited With Family 5 Years Later

John Delaney who was thought to be cremated 5 years ago turned out to be living in a care home suffering from amnesia. He was reunited with his son after appearing on a missing persons TV show.

(ABC)

So Who Was Cremated?

While the mystery of Delaney's disappearance was solved, one question remains unanswered: who was the man identified as Delaney, and later cremated, in 2003?

The Manchester Coroner's office, which was responsible with identifying the body, declined to answer any questions out of concern for "the feelings of any relatives involved," according to a statement from Manchester City Coroner Nigel Meadows.

Meadows' statement said an investigation would be carried out and the coroner's office is planning a fresh inquest.

A spokesperson from Manchester Police told ABCNews.com that the systems used by police to identify bodies at the time were far less sophisticated than those used now. "DNA evidence was not commonplace and only paper records were kept of missing persons," the police department said in a statement.

Renehan told ABCNews that he remembers police coming to his house to ask for a DNA sample from him, presumably to determine whether he was related to the body found outside the Manchester hospital.

However, a spokesperson from Manchester police told ABC News that there was no record of this in their files.

In a statement, the police department acknowledged that mistakes had been made and said a full investigation was underway to establish the identity of the body that was cremated in 2003.

Renehan says he feels "anger towards the big establishment that I trusted in," but also said he is not looking to pass blame.

"I am just happy to see my father. I will care for him for the rest of his life."

Rehabilitation and Family Time

Since being reunited last spring, Renehan has been working to rehabilitate his father.

"Just listening to him, helping him to remember and show him there can be some happiness in his life," Renehan said.

He introduced Delaney to his 11-year-old granddaughter, and the two have been spending time together.

"She's a very caring person like me. And she's showing that to her granddad," he said.