Found Deceased Chile - Tom Marsh 60, Uk National, University Professor missing from a research trip, 16 September 2022

[WingsOverTX]

Ok, so,
I'm not really understanding the colleague, speaking of the student
that, "they have decided not to press him" --
because he is young, may be stressed, etc. . .
. . . um, what???
A prominent professor is MISSING!
Over two weeks now!
Press the student for information!

The student seems to have been the last person to have seen, or spoken with Tom Marsh.
The student is comfy and safe.
Professor Marsh is . . . ???

Press the student for any and all information!!!

jmoo, but, wt*?

Police search for British professor missing in the Chilean desert

Thomas Marsh from the University of Warwick was last seen on September 15 at the remote La Silla Observatory

www.telegraph.co.uk

(the quote is in many articles, that link is just one of them)

The mind boggles.
jmoo

You are sooo right!

I hope LE is taking a hard line with this 23 yo adult student. If the Chilean authorities won't, the Warwick University police and any other LE with jurisdiction(s) where TM and the student live need to do so. If he is cleared of motive, means & opportunity, great. Hopefully he was not involved in the disappearance.

It could be the colleague knows more than they can speak on, rather than really wanting to protect the student. "No comment" would have been a better response to the media if so.

It would be interesting if the student has returned to the UK since he was free to do so, according to Chilean LE in media reports.

TM's family arrived at LA Silla Observatory this week so hopefully more info will come out. Best of all would be to know what happened & where Tom is.

JMO

 

[*Verdigris]

You are sooo right!

I hope LE is taking a hard line with this 23 yo adult student. If the Chilean authorities won't, the Warwick University police and any other LE with jurisdiction(s) where TM and the student live need to do so. If he is cleared of motive, means & opportunity, great. Hopefully he was not involved in the disappearance.

It could be the colleague knows more than they can speak on, rather than really wanting to protect the student. "No comment" would have been a better response to the media if so.

It would be interesting if the student has returned to the UK since he was free to do so, according to Chilean LE in media reports.

TM's family arrived at LA Silla Observatory this week so hopefully more info will come out. Best of all would be to know what happened & where Tom is.

JMO

yep.
Whatever he knows.
And (of course being victim-friendly), not in an accusatory way, but, as the standard goes --
" . . . anything at all. Even if it may seem insignificant . . . "

Any and all info is needed.

I wonder how many times the student tried to contact Prof Marsh while waiting for him, before sending the email to alert others.
Did he ask anybody else individually first?

tbh, I can't imagine the student being involved in anything wholly deliberate in that setting. Maybe an accident. (If even that, as would be very difficult to cover-up, I would think.)

Meanwhile, Prof Marsh reminds me of someone, but I can't think of whom!

jmoo

 

[annpats]

If the Chilean authorities won't, the Warwick University police and any other LE with jurisdiction(s) where TM and the student live need to do so.

British Universities don't have their own police forces like in the USA. It'll just be the police of the county where the university is, in this case, Warwickshire.

But Warwickshire Police won't be interested, as the man went missing in a foreign country (non-British soil) so it's highly unlikely they would do the Chilean police's job for them.

British police forces have been known, on rare occasions, to fly out to assist other countries with cases involving British nationals - but that's in rare instances - Madeleine McCann and Ben Needham spring to mind, but they were both children.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office will be liasing with the Chilean police, but I don't think it'll be any more than that.

 

[dalsglen]

British Universities don't have their own police forces like in the USA. It'll just be the police of the county where the university is, in this case, Warwickshire.

But Warwickshire Police won't be interested, as the man went missing in a foreign country (non-British soil) so it's highly unlikely they would do the Chilean police's job for them.

British police forces have been known, on rare occasions, to fly out to assist other countries with cases involving British nationals - but that's in rare instances - Madeleine McCann and Ben Needham spring to mind, but they were both children.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office will be liasing with the Chilean police, but I don't think it'll be any more than that.

Warwickshire police do have an incident number listed for Tom.


https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/...2/warwickshire-man-reported-missing-in-chile/

 

[annpats]

Warwickshire police do have an incident number listed for Tom.


https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/...2/warwickshire-man-reported-missing-in-chile/

I think that's probably a legal or life insurance obligation, a bit like if you get burgled at home or attacked in the street and report it....the police hardly ever come out to investigate, they just give you a crime reference number to give to any legal or insurance company.

I can't see Warwickshire Police investigating a missing person in Chile. They don't have the resources or the finances.

MOO.

 

[Kaykedi]

yep.
Whatever he knows.
And (of course being victim-friendly), not in an accusatory way, but, as the standard goes --
" . . . anything at all. Even if it may seem insignificant . . . "

Any and all info is needed.

I wonder how many times the student tried to contact Prof Marsh while waiting for him, before sending the email to alert others.
Did he ask anybody else individually first?

tbh, I can't imagine the student being involved in anything wholly deliberate in that setting. Maybe an accident. (If even that, as would be very difficult to cover-up, I would think.)

Meanwhile, Prof Marsh reminds me of someone, but I can't think of whom!

jmoo

yep.
Whatever he knows.
And (of course being victim-friendly), not in an accusatory way, but, as the standard goes --
" . . . anything at all. Even if it may seem insignificant . . . "

Any and all info is needed.

I wonder how many times the student tried to contact Prof Marsh while waiting for him, before sending the email to alert others.
Did he ask anybody else individually first?

tbh, I can't imagine the student being involved in anything wholly deliberate in that setting. Maybe an accident. (If even that, as would be very difficult to cover-up, I would think.)

Meanwhile, Prof Marsh reminds me of someone, but I can't think of whom!

jmoo

He reminds me of someone too and it's driving me mad as I can't think who it is! Someone famous. An actor?

 

[dotr]

Tom Marsh

warwick.ac.uk

''Tom Marsh​

I started the Astronomy & Astrophysics group at Warwick in 2003. My research interests are accretion in, and the evolution of, binary stars. I am also interested in the observational techniques needed to study these objects. My major projects of the last few years have been the use and exploitation of ULTRACAM and HiPERCAM which are high-speed multi-band CCD imagers. My work touches on the area of gravitational waves as the objects I study are thought to be amongst the strongest emitters for the proposed space-based GRW detector, LISA.''

 

[Kaykedi]

Tom Marsh

warwick.ac.uk

View attachment 370451

''Tom Marsh​

I started the Astronomy & Astrophysics group at Warwick in 2003. My research interests are accretion in, and the evolution of, binary stars. I am also interested in the observational techniques needed to study these objects. My major projects of the last few years have been the use and exploitation of ULTRACAM and HiPERCAM which are high-speed multi-band CCD imagers. My work touches on the area of gravitational waves as the objects I study are thought to be amongst the strongest emitters for the proposed space-based GRW detector, LISA.''

Awww he's a handsome man isn't he

Tom Marsh

warwick.ac.uk

View attachment 370451

''Tom Marsh​

I started the Astronomy & Astrophysics group at Warwick in 2003. My research interests are accretion in, and the evolution of, binary stars. I am also interested in the observational techniques needed to study these objects. My major projects of the last few years have been the use and exploitation of ULTRACAM and HiPERCAM which are high-speed multi-band CCD imagers. My work touches on the area of gravitational waves as the objects I study are thought to be amongst the strongest emitters for the proposed space-based GRW detector, LISA.''

Deleted by me

 

[Seni]

IMHO…..The situation is at aprox 2.400 m. You would not have altitude problems. No poisonous snakes or predators or natural agression.

IT is a huge complex, many telescopes, also hoteles, probably also a local settlement dealing beer, snack, etc nearby.

 

[ignacio]

Please remove this comment if not allowed
I'm from Chile, and I've been reading about Tom's disappearance since day three.
A más de 2 semanas de su desaparición: estudiante que acompañaba a Thomas Marsh abandonó Chile
Diario El Dia (local newspaper mentioned in The Telegraph and The Daily Mail) is reporting the student already left the country.

Although the prosecutor is not yet giving details of where Marsh's assistant is, El Día's sources confirm that he has already left Chile. Vega (Regional prosecutor), however, assures this newspaper that the student is willing to continue giving statements to contribute to the investigation.

"The witness is available for all the proceedings of the investigation, but in relation to his location, I cannot point it out," the prosecutor indicates.

The news report also mentions the search being difficult due to geographical conditions
"Regional prosecutor Adrián Vega points out that disappearances in mountainous areas are difficult to investigate, so all possible means, both human and technological, have been deployed, in relation to the search of the more than 300,000 hectares of the area, a place with ravines and caves that makes the work more complex."

To finish, Marsh's family is expected to be arriving to Chile ASAP to help on the search
"[...]Marsh's family is expected to arrive in the region during the next few days or hours, in order to accompany the search process."

 

[WingsOverTX]

<modsnip>

IT is a huge complex, many telescopes, also hoteles, probably also a local settlement dealing beer, snack, etc nearby.

Travel to ESO La Silla

ESO, European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere

www.eso.org

Accommodation and Food at La Silla
Overnight accommodation and meals at La Silla are available for ESO staff only.

For accommodation, you can return to La Serena.

Accommodation and meals are provided only in the exceptional case of specially authorised media visits.

BBM
I'm sure visiting researchers are treated as staff.

 

[WingsOverTX]

<modsnip>

IT is a huge complex, many telescopes, also hoteles, probably also a local settlement dealing beer, snack, etc nearby.

"Boarding House on Mars"
It has been called a "boarding house on Mars", because the desert surroundings are Mars-like,[2] and an "Oasis for astronomers". It is not a commercial hotel, and the public cannot book rooms.

ESO Hotel - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

BBM

 

[WingsOverTX]

Please remove this comment if not allowed
I'm from Chile, and I've been reading about Tom's disappearance since day three.
A más de 2 semanas de su desaparición: estudiante que acompañaba a Thomas Marsh abandonó Chile
Diario El Dia (local newspaper mentioned in The Telegraph and The Daily Mail) is reporting the student already left the country.

Although the prosecutor is not yet giving details of where Marsh's assistant is, El Día's sources confirm that he has already left Chile. Vega (Regional prosecutor), however, assures this newspaper that the student is willing to continue giving statements to contribute to the investigation.

"The witness is available for all the proceedings of the investigation, but in relation to his location, I cannot point it out," the prosecutor indicates.

The news report also mentions the search being difficult due to geographical conditions
"Regional prosecutor Adrián Vega points out that disappearances in mountainous areas are difficult to investigate, so all possible means, both human and technological, have been deployed, in relation to the search of the more than 300,000 hectares of the area, a place with ravines and caves that makes the work more complex."

To finish, Marsh's family is expected to be arriving to Chile ASAP to help on the search
"[...]Marsh's family is expected to arrive in the region during the next few days or hours, in order to accompany the search process."

Thank you for sharing & welcome to Websleuths!

Because a link to the news source was included in your post, it complies with TOS. Law enforcement official announcements are also allowed.

Having the ability to share local news here is very valuable for us English-only speakers, as we are only reading British & American sources.

Let's hope they figure this out soon! Tom's disappearance is very concerning.

MOO

 

[ignacio]

"Boarding House on Mars"
It has been called a "boarding house on Mars", because the desert surroundings are Mars-like,[2] and an "Oasis for astronomers". It is not a commercial hotel, and the public cannot book rooms.

ESO Hotel - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

BBM

That's Paranal in Antofagasta, where the Very Large Telescope is. I've been there personally and it's way more visited than ESO La Silla (Located in La Serena)
MOO down below:
Unless you're going as a tourist / visitor, you need to apply to a highly competitive open call for astronomists / professors / master students etc called "Calls for proposals", at least in La Silla these open twice a year. They lent you their instruments and telescopes for science. If you're called, you do, in fact, stay in the ESO complex instead of going back to the city.
Here are some (quite old) pics of the La Silla Hotel shortly after it's completion.

I do have to mention, researchers in ESO establishments do tend to overwork themselves. When you're being given a tourist guide, you'll pass through closed offices with "Shh! People are sleeping" papers on the doors, because they stay up all day and night monitoring stuff. You're asked to stay silent for that part of the guide.
MOO

 

[WingsOverTX]

That's Paranal in Antofagasta, where the Very Large Telescope is. I've been there personally and it's way more visited than ESO La Silla (Located in La Serena)
MOO down below:
Unless you're going as a tourist / visitor, you need to apply to a highly competitive open call for astronomists / professors / master students etc called "Calls for proposals", at least in La Silla these open twice a year. They lent you their instruments and telescopes for science. If you're called, you do, in fact, stay in the ESO complex instead of going back to the city.
Here are some (quite old) pics of the La Silla Hotel shortly after it's completion.
View attachment 370504View attachment 370505
I do have to mention, researchers in ESO establishments do tend to overwork themselves. When you're being given a tourist guide, you'll pass through closed offices with "Shh! People are sleeping" papers on the doors, because they stay up all day and night monitoring stuff. You're asked to stay silent for that part of the guide.
MOO

Very interesting!

 

[Seni]

I posted that at an altitude of 2.400 there would be no poisonous snakes or other predators. This is a desertar, Tom was familiar with his surroundings, he had been before. There were hoteles, probably bars, small shopping nearby.

Chile,

 

[5W's]

That's Paranal in Antofagasta, where the Very Large Telescope is. I've been there personally and it's way more visited than ESO La Silla (Located in La Serena)
MOO down below:
Unless you're going as a tourist / visitor, you need to apply to a highly competitive open call for astronomists / professors / master students etc called "Calls for proposals", at least in La Silla these open twice a year. They lent you their instruments and telescopes for science. If you're called, you do, in fact, stay in the ESO complex instead of going back to the city.
Here are some (quite old) pics of the La Silla Hotel shortly after it's completion.
View attachment 370504View attachment 370505
I do have to mention, researchers in ESO establishments do tend to overwork themselves. When you're being given a tourist guide, you'll pass through closed offices with "Shh! People are sleeping" papers on the doors, because they stay up all day and night monitoring stuff. You're asked to stay silent for that part of the guide.
MOO

See this is what I find unusual here. There is a vetting process that is obviously very compettetive. So I don't see the student as anything but a witness. I mean the student is lucky to get this once in a lifetime opportunity. Why blow everything up that one has worked hard for? If for the sake of an example say the student was hiding something from LE it would be devestating for the student's future endevors and opporunities in this field. So I believe the student is only a witness to when Tom was last seen.

 

[Quim The Extraordinaire]

See this is what I find unusual here. There is a vetting process that is obviously very compettetive. So I don't see the student as anything but a witness. I mean the student is lucky to get this once in a lifetime opportunity. Why blow everything up that one has worked hard for? If for the sake of an example say the student was hiding something from LE it would be devestating for the student's future endevors and opporunities in this field. So I believe the student is only a witness to when Tom was last seen.

I don’t have an opinion on the student except wondering whether he/she/they were officially the last to see the missing professor.

The vetting process would have been on the merits of the proposal and the likelihood of publications and not so much a background check or a personality assessment. Plus it sounds like the professor picked different grad students to bring along so even if any later publications listed the student as a co-author, the proposal might have only listed the professor as the principal investigator and the professor chose the student after the proposal was accepted.

Also everything you list as a reason not to cover up something could also on the flip side be stressors or reasons to cover up even something innocent over fears they won’t be believed and could lose everything. Academia can be competitive and stressful and not everyone handles that well.

I hope the professor is found soon.

 

[annpats]

I hope the professor is found soon.

So do I, but in a couple of days he'll have been missing 3 weeks, and that is a long time. There is nothing to eat or drink in the deserty scrubland, so survival would be unthinkable.

I do wonder if the professor had some sort of breakdown and decided on some time alone? Unlikely, but not beyond the realms of possibility. Academia can be hard and stressful at the top level.

The other scenario could be after the argument with the student, the professor went for a walk to clear his head and had some sort of an accident or medical incident out in the wilderness.

I would like to know more about the argument and what the subject matter was. Was it just a little minor disagreement, or was it a huge shouting match? Or somewhere in between?

Did any of the other staff at the Telescope or Lodging House witness anything unusual?

 

[ignacio]

"Tenemos signos de sectores donde pudo haber caminado…": Fiscal sobre Tom Marsh | Diario el Día

El Fiscal Regional, Adrián Vega, afirmó que “aún podemos encontrar a una persona viva, por lo tanto la moral está bien alta”.

www.diarioeldia.cl

"We have signs of areas where he may have walked...": Prosecutor on Tom Marsh
Regional Prosecutor, Adrián Vega, affirmed that "we can still find him alive, therefore, spirits are high".
"[...] On this point, he affirmed that "we have certain signs and indications of areas in which he could have walked (...) the prediction of the police is that we can still find him alive".

MOO starts now:
Whew. Almost at the three week mark. Like @annpats said, that IS a long time, considering he left with almost nothing but his clothes, there's nothing around and nights can go as cold as -12°C (10°F). Days are not so easy either, 25°C (77°F) with no sun protection and no water can also be dangerous.
Some news outlet have shown some drone / aerial pics of La Silla, and just from the looks of it, it cannot be safe to go around there. The mountains are quite high.
Just hoping he's safe, but I think it's time to accept all the possible outcomes of this.
MOO