Greek man arrested in American scientist’s death
A 27-year-old man was arrested by Greek police on Monday, as a suspect in the murder of US scientist Suzanne Eaton, who was a molecular biologist at the Max Planck Institute at Dresden University in Germany.
Eaton, 59, was in the Greek island of Crete to attend a conference and went missing on July 2, when friends said she likely went for a run.
A week later, her body was found in an abandoned WWII bunker on the island of, some 7 miles (11 km) from her hotel.
“The death seems to have been caused by asphyxiation,” police said in a statement. They added that the motive appeared to have been “sexual abuse.”
DNA evidence is said to have linked the man to the murder, the DPA news agency said, citing local media reports. He is suspected of having killed Eaton before leaving her body in the bunker.
The molecular biologist is survived by her husband, British scientist Anthony Hyman, and two sons.
A world-renowned scientist
The Max Planck Institute mourned Eaton’s death and celebrated her contributions to science, as well as her life, publishing a number of dedications from family and friends on their website.
In it, her son wrote that his mother was a “remarkable woman” who had lived life with few regrets, “balancing out her personal life with her career.”
“The Max Planck Society will forever remember Suzanne for all she contributed to our community and far beyond,” the president of the organization said.
“She was a world-renowned scientist who was a key player in developmental biology, respected and loved by the wide international community,” her research group colleagues said. “Her example of a joyous and graceful approach to science and life has enriched us all.”
jcg/rc (AP, AFP, dpa)
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