There is a lot of speculation from fall to foul play and it is very likely it could be either, IMO. She could have stripped down, piece by piece, heading up to watch the sunrise and met foul play as certain spots are known for bandits, or perhaps someone saw her nude and had their own ideas and things went down hill from there?
On the flip side, it was clear she was in an off state of mind and perhaps due to her mental and physical state lost balance, fell, or passed out?
And there is still a part of me that wonders if she intentionally walked off the edge of the cliff becoming one with the sunrise?
She had been traveling for 6 months, was the gap year coming to an end? Then what? It can be a hard transition. It was for
Leanne Bearden.
The hotel owner is still not ok, and states:
'My opinion is that she was completely lost and completely on drugs. She didn't know what she was doing. She did things a normal person would not do at all.'
Her parents are trying to deal with their daughter's death including the SM frenzy and speculation with photos being shared of their nude, deceased daughter. At any random time, that photo could land before their eyes. That is heartbreaking.
I wonder if the forensics suggest something nefarious, the parents will still believe that it was a peaceful death for their hearts? Local owners rely on the tourist capital, they don't want the area riddled with fear and rumors either. Sure there are bandits, but the area isn't known for crime on tourists. Will we even know the truth?
Unless there is some definitive arrest or confession, I think there may always be rumors surrounding her death. MOO
Per some updated articles:
The news comes as her family refuted claims by local media that she had been raped and murdered, as investigators continue to assess whether there was any foul play.
They asked for restraint over claims of an alleged leaked police report which stated she may have been raped and murdered.
Forensics officers are still seeking to establish a cause of death.
A statement from the Lucie Blackman Trust on behalf of her family said: 'She was very much a nature lover and adored sunrises, so it seems quite conceivable that she went up the mountain to greet the sunrise, shedding clothing as she went, and due to her lack of intake of food and fluid may have passed out or fallen, causing the wounds to her body.
'Whilst of course at this stage we do not know the full facts, and cannot rule anything out until we do, it is wrong to assume and of course confirm that she was raped and murdered by a mystery assailant when such facts are not evident.'
British backpacker dead in Guatemalan highlands fell 300ft and NO signs of sexual violence, say cops | Daily Mail Online
Response to 'intense speculation' surrounding backpacker's death