It is a family torn apart by grief and rage - a daughter dead, a father accused and a brother charged. The circumstances of what authorities think led to the death of Aqsa Parvez on Monday will become clearer as the journey to justice continues for the man charged with killing her - her own father.

But on Wednesday, one mystery was finally resolved - the official cause of the 16-year-old's death. An autopsy shows the Mississauga teen died from 'neck compressions,' lending credence to reports she was strangled in her Longhorn Trail home in the Eglinton and Hurontaro area.

The crime, which has made headlines around the world after being picked up by international wire services, allegedly followed an argument over the wearing of a hijab, a traditional Muslim head scarf. Fifty-seven-year-old Muhammad Parvez kept his head lowered as he appeared in a Brampton courtroom on Wednesday. He's facing murder charges, while his 26-year-old son, Aqsa's brother, is accused of obstructing justice in the case.

But another sibling - who was in the home at the time of the crime - insists the hijab wasn't behind what happened. "It was not culture," Mohammed Shan insists. But he refused to elaborate. "We don't know, we don't know nothing what happened." (sic)

Observers admit there may be too much emphasis on the head scarf and not enough on the dynamics of an apparently dysfunctional family. "People are focusing on the hijab issue," argues Sumayyah Poonah of Young Muslims of Canada. "And the emphasis really should be placed on the domestic violence issue."

A publication ban has been placed on Parvez's court appearance, but CityNews has learned he's been a licensed taxi driver in Mississauga since 2003. He has a clean record, and there were never any complaints filed against him.

The family has been devastated by what took place and all the relatives are still reeling from the shocking tragedy. "My dad is alive but my sister passed away so I feel bad for my sister," Shan relates. He admits he hasn't been able to talk to his father since police led him away to jail. But his mother is a mess. "She's bad, she's feeling bad. Her daughter died, so she feels bad," Shan states tersely.

His father will be back in court for a bail hearing January 29th. In the meantime, his lawyer has asked the court to look out for his client while he's in custody, because he has a heart condition.