MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, the Committee said it was reopening an investigation into the 1918 killings of Nicholas II, his wife and children due to new evidence.
As part of the probe, the investigators will try to identify whether remains reported to be Tsarevich Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria, found in 2007, actually belong to the members of the royal family.
"The Investigative Committee has involved in the research globally renowned geneticists and will apply the most advanced technologies and equipment that will provide us with the most objective results. All these investigative activities and research will be carried out as soon as possible," Vladimir Markin said.
A year after the 1917 October Revolution, Nicholas II, his German-born wife Alexandra, their four daughters and one son were shot dead by Bolsheviks in the Ural city of Yekaterinburg. The executioners hid the remains, most of which were discovered outside the city in 1991.
If the remains found in 2007 are confirmed to belong to Tsarevich Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria, they will be reburied alongside the rest of the Russia's royal family members in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
A criminal case into the 1918 killings was initially opened in 1993 before being closed five years later owing to the deaths of the alleged perpetrators.
