Found Deceased Greece - Dr. Suzanne Eaton, 60, American, gone for a run, Crete, 2 Jul 2019 *ARREST*

[Handsome Sailor]

Given her fitness, black belt, and knife wounds, I'm confident her attackers were two. Two to subdue, to disable, to transport, to discard. In the assault, something may have been left behind. Jewelry, shoe/sock, a clothing or hair accessory, eyeglasses. Doubt she was run over, too risky and messy. More likely: "Car trouble, gotta phone?" "Are you OK? We can give you a ride into town." Or just "Get in the car."

 

[otto]

The eyewitness saw her around the 'small church and the bridge', heading back toward the conference centre. I think @otto identified the most likely spot. This is well south of Afrata. Do we even know if she went as far as the village?

She might have run 2 or 3km out and was planning on running 2 or 3km back. This would still fit with the eye witness acount.

She was seen by 2 independent witnesses at Afrata (linked earlier today). It is believed that she was abducted 1 mile outside of Afrata, while returning to the academy. The spot that I selected (best guess for now) is probably more like 1.5 miles. The total distance between the two locations is 3 miles.

 

[otto]

Given her fitness, black belt, and knife wounds, I'm confident her attackers were two. Two to subdue, to disable, to transport, to discard. In the assault, something may have been left behind. Jewelry, shoe/sock, a clothing or hair accessory, eyeglasses. Doubt she was run over, too risky and messy. More likely: "Car trouble, gotta phone?" "Are you OK? We can give you a ride into town." Or just "Get in the car."

Suzanne had expertise in self-defense, but I'm not convinced that rules out abduction by a single strong man. I hope that investigators have been able to pinpoint where she was abducted, and hopefully something of her was left - like a shoe.

There's also the language difference. She spoke English and German. The suspect may only speak Greek. It's most likely that he had a plan for her, and she didn't see it coming until he was on her. She was completely disadvantaged and vulnerable.

 

[afitzy]

Thanks. Someone else posted the small memorial along the road. That is near the area that I chose, but I was focused on actual churches, like the Greek Orthodox church turnoff that is right near what could be called a small bridge.

From Google Maps and Streetview:

View attachment 193281

View attachment 193282

The article 2 posts above your uses the word chapel so maybe we are looking for something smaller than a church. With translation its not easy to figure out what exactly is meant.

 

[afitzy]

Local Greek media is reporting: (translation from Google translate, but it's an accurate translation of the Greek)

According to secure information from zarpanews.gr, police authorities are probably very close to locating the perpetrator or the perpetrators of the terrible murder of a 60-year-old woman.

Σύμφωνα με ασφαλείς πληροφορίες του zarpanews.gr, οι αστυνομικές αρχές πιθανότατα βρίσκονται πολύ κοντά στον εντοπισμό του δράστη ή των δραστών της φρικτής δολοφονίας της 60χρονης γυναίκας.

Στενεύει ο κλοιός για τη δολοφονία της Αμερικανίδας βιολόγου στα Χανιά: Συγκεκριμένα άτομα ερευνά η Αστυνομία - zarpanews.gr

This is the google translate of the second paragraph of the greek article posted above.

"The same information refer to more targeted investigations concerning three or four persons, nationals and foreigners who are brought in accordance with the evidence so far available to the Hellenic Police, having regard to the tragic incident".

This translation doesn't seem very clean so I'm curious if someone local can shed some light on what exactly is being said.

Just looking at google translate it seems like article is saying that 3-4 people both of greek origin and foreigners have been interrogated by Hellenic Police.

I haven't seen another article to say how many people have been brought in (seen references to several and a few) and this one seems fairly clear and to number and nationality.

 

[otto]

The article 2 posts above your uses the word chapel so maybe we are looking for something smaller than a church. With translation its not easy to figure out what exactly is meant.

I am not confident that the little bridge and the Orthodox church is the correct spot, that's just the one place where I found both. It could be that it should a roadside memorial and a big bridge - although I wasn't able to find another bridge.

 

[Herat]

There is a very odd article in the Daily Mail that claims LE is looking at possible Neo-Nazi symathizers in this crime. They claim there are many on the island. But they dont really give an explanation as to why she would have been a victim other than she was found in an old bunker. I think it’s absurd, but see what you mak of it

Police hunting American biologist's killer are focusing on neo-Nazi sympathizers | Daily Mail Online

 

[otto]

There is a very odd article in the Daily Mail that claims LE is looking at possible Neo-Nazi symathizers in this crime. They claim there are many on the island. But they dont really give an explanation as to why she would have been a victim other than she was found in an old bunker. I think it’s absurd, but see what you mak of it

Police hunting American biologist's killer are focusing on neo-Nazi sympathizers | Daily Mail Online

Her husband was born in Israel. It's a real long shot, but investigators have to explore every angle.

 

[Herat]

"The same information refer to more targeted investigations concerning three or four persons, nationals and foreigners who are brought in accordance with the evidence so far available to the Hellenic Police, having regard to the tragic incident".

I haven't seen another article to say how many people have been brought in (seen references to several and a few) and this one seems fairly clear and to number and nationality.

I’m a little worried that it’s “ Round up the usual suspects”

 

[glassheater]

There is a very odd article in the Daily Mail that claims LE is looking at possible Neo-Nazi symathizers in this crime. They claim there are many on the island. But they dont really give an explanation as to why she would have been a victim other than she was found in an old bunker. I think it’s absurd, but see what you mak of it

Police hunting American biologist's killer are focusing on neo-Nazi sympathizers | Daily Mail Online

Articles ( if true) like these worry me. I worry the case will go cold because they have very little leads to go on. We go from someone who works in AG to someone who is a neo Nazi sympathizer. Of course it’s possible the perp is both. But unless he knew about the conference and Max Planck institute and then assumed Dr. Eaton was German for working there, I doubt they saw a random woman walking alone, assumed she was German and therefor decided to commit a hate crime.

 

[glassheater]

Her husband was born in Israel. It's a real long shot, but investigators have to explore every angle.

Agreed it’s a long shot. If so, then I would wager the perp is someone inside the academy who knew all this information.

 

[glassheater]

This is the google translate of the second paragraph of the greek article posted above.

"The same information refer to more targeted investigations concerning three or four persons, nationals and foreigners who are brought in accordance with the evidence so far available to the Hellenic Police, having regard to the tragic incident".

This translation doesn't seem very clean so I'm curious if someone local can shed some light on what exactly is being said.

Just looking at google translate it seems like article is saying that 3-4 people both of greek origin and foreigners have been interrogated by Hellenic Police.

I haven't seen another article to say how many people have been brought in (seen references to several and a few) and this one seems fairly clear and to number and nationality.

Article states what others have already. Brought in several suspects, Greek and foreign.

 

[otto]

Articles ( if true) like these worry me. I worry the case will go cold because they have very little leads to go on. We go from someone who works in AG to someone who is a neo Nazi sympathizer. Of course it’s possible the perp is both. But unless he knew about the conference and Max Planck institute and then assumed Dr. Eaton was German for working there, I doubt they saw a random woman walking alone, assumed she was German and therefor decided to commit a hate crime.

I can't see any way that this is tied to her teaching, her research group (students), or her research. I couldn't find a single thing that could even be held up as questionable. Did anyone else find anything that made it realistic to suspect that this was personal or professional?

Now that we know she was seen at Afrata and was abducted on the road to the Orthodox Academy, I think it's much more likely that this was a random predatory opportunistic murder.

 

[glassheater]

I can't see any way that this is tied to her teaching, her research group (students), or her research. I couldn't find a single thing that could even be held up as questionable. Did anyone else find anything that made it realistic to suspect that this was personal or professional?

Now that we know she was seen at Afrata and was abducted on the road to the Orthodox Academy, I think it's much more likely that this was a random predatory opportunistic murder.

I agree 100%. I would be shocked if it were tied to her husband being from Israel or her work. I worry the police looking into Neo-Nazi sympathizers means their original suspects didn't pan out so now they have to expand their search.

 

[otto]

Because this was a brutal murder, one where the suspect was comfortable and confident enough to spend time with her and her body, I would be surprised if this is the suspect's first murder.

 

[otto]

I agree 100%. I would be shocked if it were tied to her husband being from Israel or her work. I worry the police looking into Neo-Nazi sympathizers means their original suspects didn't pan out so now they have to expand their search.

Maybe the bunkers are more of a fascination for neonazis, so more likely that the suspect might know about the bunkers for social, rather than familial or local, reasons.

 

[Elainera]

Eyewitness accounts told police she was in Afrata.

"An 85-year-old gardener and an elderly fisherman have both independently told detectives they saw 59-year-old Dr. Eaton in the village of Afrata, which is three miles from the place she had been staying.

Officers now believe Dr. Eaton, who had two sons, disappeared a mile outside of Afrata as she made her way back to the Orthodox Academy of Crete where she was due to be a keynote conference speaker."
​

Greek police are close to a breakthrough in the case of murdered American biologist | Daily Mail Online

Thanks glassheater and otto. I was under the impression the witnesses saw her outside of Afrata by the bridge and church.

 

[glassheater]

Thanks glassheater and otto. I was under the impression the witnesses saw her outside of Afrata by the bridge and church.

The gardener man was quoted as saying he saw her by the chapel and bridge on the road leading out of Afrata. There is a chapel on one of the roads just outside of Afrata but we haven't been able to locate a bridge.

ETA: change elderly man to gardener

 

[Elainera]

Because this was a brutal murder, one where the suspect was comfortable and confident enough to spend time with her and her body, I would be surprised if this is the suspect's first murder.

I agree. At the very least I think the perp is a known trouble maker and probably had prior run-ins with the law, aussault, rape etc, but got off lightly so far. jmo

 

[glassheater]

Maybe the bunkers are more of a fascination for neonazis, so more likely that the suspect might know about the bunkers for social, rather than familial or local, reasons.

Good point