The body of Lewis 'Buddy' Kelly, who died 37 years ago, will be exhumed as part of the family's search for answers surrounding the teenager's death.
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Buddy attended a party at the skatepark in West Kempsey with a group of freinds on New Year's Eve in 1983 and as the celebrations dwindled, the teenagers began heading home.
Buddy was last seen alive walking up the stairs of the railway bridge which connects West Kempsey with South.
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His body was found on train tracks in South Kempsey the next day and despite initial investigations concluding the apprentice glazier was responsible for his own death, his family maintains he was murdered.
Buddy's family have spent the past 37 years searching for answers, however, they may finally be close to justice with the state coroner agreeing to have Buddy's body exhumed and forensically examined.
Buddy's sister, Monica Kelly, said this is a long time coming for the family.
"My siblings and I have lobbied for years and now for the coroner to give the go ahead for his body to be examined means everything," she told the Argus.
"We believe that if this was done when he died, we wouldn't be here today still searching for answers."
Greens Aboriginal Justice spokesperson David Shoebridge has welcomed the news. When Buddy's case was reopened in 2018 Mr Shoebeidge told the Argus the investigation following Buddy's death was inadequate.
"Going back to 1984, when the investigation and the coronial investigation was done, there were far too many questions that were left unanswered. Only a handful of witnesses who were here on the evening, were actually questioned by police," he said at the time.
"Many of the investigations were grossly inadequate."
The Kelly family will be holding a cultural smoking ceremony at the Armidale cemetery on Sunday before the body is exhumed and forensically examined next week.
"We've spend the past 37 years trying to find answers and it needs to be out there that this is happening," Monica said.
"There's still a long road ahead of us for justice, but this is a massive step forward for the family."
