Body of missing Canadian thought found in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — The body of a man believed to be a Canadian filmmaker missing for two months has been found in the woods near Cambodia's famous Angkor temple complex, police said Thursday.
Friends and acquaintances identified 58-year-old Dave Walker on the basis of his clothing, and officials sent by the Canadian Embassy in neighboring Thailand were to arrive Friday to inspect the body, said Tith Narong, a senior officer with the Siem Reap provincial police.
The man's body, lying face up, was found Wednesday evening by some children who were foraging for fruit, forensic officer Pheng Pich said.
He said the body was that of a Western male, but confirmation of his identity had to await DNA tests. He added that there were no initial signs of foul play, and that the man may have died of natural causes.
Walker, from Edmonton, had been living for about two years in Siem Reap, where he was a partner in a local film production company. He disappeared on Feb. 14 after stepping out from his guesthouse room to allow it to be cleaned, leaving behind his phone, laptop computer, passport and other belongings.
Sonny Chhoun, Walker's partner in Animist Farm Films, said by phone that after seeing the body, he was 90 percent certain it was the missing Canadian.
He said he could not recognize the man's face because the body was badly decomposed, but that the clothing matched that worn by Walker. He added that he was now convinced he could end his search for his missing friend.
