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American Scientist Who Disappeared In Greece Found Dead In Abandoned WWII Bunker
Authorities are still investigating what happened the day Suzanne Eaton went missing.
An American scientist missing for nearly a week in Greece was found dead in an old World War II bunker.
Suzanne Eaton, 59, was a research group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany. She disappeared last Tuesday on the island of Crete, where she was attending a conference at the Orthodox Academy of Crete, People reported.
The search team discovered Eaton’s body roughly seven miles from where she’d been staying in an abandoned World War II bunker, Vangelis Zacharioudakis, who led the Greek search effort, told ABC News.
Her cause of death hasn't yet been determined and authorities are still investigating what happened the day she disappeared.
“It is with enormous sadness and regret that we announce the tragic demise of our dearest friend and colleague, Suzanne Eaton,” The Planck Institute said in a statement. “We are deeply shocked and disturbed by this tragic event. Her loss is unbearable.”
It is believed the Oakland, California native went missing while going on a run, according to CNN, but a previous statement by the Planck Institute also raises the possibility she went for a swim, given the high temperatures that day.
Eaton’s family created a Facebook page called Searching for Suzanne, and took part in the search along with the police, fire service, coast guard and other volunteers hoping to get information from people.
Eaton was the wife of Dr. Anthony Hyman, and mother to her two sons, Max and Luke, according to Institute representatives. Emily Kappes, Eaton’s cousin, told the Associated Press that her husband and sons went to Crete to help with the search. The family offered a cash reward of 50,000 euros for any information that would help them in looking for the scientist, according to the Greek Reporter.
Upon receiving the news of Eaton's death, Callie Broaddus — Eaton’s niece — took to the Facebook group to express that she is “forever grateful for the support” and ask everyone to “avoid speculation on [the] page.”
