Greek police suspect murder in death of US scientist

ATHENS - Greek police suspect foul play in the death of an American scientist whose body was found on Monday on the island of Crete, a week after she went missing, police sources said on Wednesday.

Suzanne Eaton, 60, a molecular biologist at the world-renowned Max Planck Institute in Dresden, Germany, was found dead in a disused military bunker.

A post-mortem on Wednesday concluded that she died of asphyxiation, one police source told Reuters. A second source said contusions found on the victim may have been inflicted to immobilize her.

Eaton had been on the island for a science conference. It was thought she had gone for a run, and colleagues raised the alarm when she failed to return.

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Her passport, wallet, phone, cash, and cycling shoes were in her hotel room but her running shoes were missing, according to a social media page set up by family and friends appealing for help finding her.

Eaton's body was found by cavers in the bunker, a system of manmade caves used by the Nazis during the occupation of Crete during World War Two.

Dresden University's Max Planck Institute, where Eaton was a research group leader, described her in a statement on its website as "a leading scientist in her field, a strong athlete, runner and senior black belt in Tae Kwon Do."