The body of 58-year-old Canadian journalist Dave Walker, who has been missing since he disappeared from his guesthouse in Siem Reap City on February 14, was found this morning inside the Angkor Thom temple complex, police said.
Chao Mao Vireak, bureau chief of Siem Reap provincial immigration police, said the badly decomposed body was discovered at about 6:30 a.m. by two boys who were picking fruit in a forested area of the archeological park.
“We received information at 7:30 a.m. that a body was found in the Angkor Thom complex about 250 meters from the entrance in a small forest area,” he said. “Right now, the area is sealed off with police tape as we await the arrival of a forensic doctor from Bangkok at the request of the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok.”
The journalist went missing after leaving his guesthouse to take a walk while his room was made up. A close friend of the victim accompanied the owner of the guesthouse to the scene this morning and identified the body based upon the clothes he was wearing at the time of his disappearance, police said.
“His friend and the owner of the guesthouse have confirmed that the body is that of the journalist as he is dressed in the clothes that he was wearing while he disappeared,” said provincial police chief Sort Nady.
“So far, our police have not concluded whether the death is the result of a murder or natural causes, as we are awaiting analysis of the body,” he added. “Our first thought is that the victim lost his way in the forest and became ill.”
