Hamilton family confirms baby missing in Panama found dead

The family of a Hamilton man and two missing children in Panama has confirmed to CHCH News the death of the youngest child, seven-month-old “Musa”.

Funeral information for Sallahudin Musa states that his body was found in a river on May 31 and that DNA evidence later confirmed his death.

Thirty-one-year old Ghussan Iqbal and his children — Nousaybah, age two, and her brother Musa —  disappeared from their home in Panama in mid-May.

The McMaster University graduate has been living with his children and wife Nagham in a small city called Changuinola in the province of Bocas del Toro.

Iqbal’s family told CHCH News on May 28 that he has struggled with mental health issues, and they feared for the well-being of the children in the jungle-like rural area.

The Hamilton Mountain resident was admitted to St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s West 5th Campus for three weeks last year.

READ MORE: Hamilton family asks for help after man, two kids go missing in Panama

The Attorney General’s office in Panama — the Procuraduría General de la Nación — confirmed on social media that a body had been recovered.

“We report that, following several investigations conducted by the Specialized Missing Persons Unit, the body of a minor has been located in Changuinola, Bocas del Toro province,” a statement read.

Iqbal and his daughter are still missing.

His brother Sulman Iqbal set up a GoFundMe fundraiser page to help in the search a few weeks ago.