Found Deceased Greece - Dr. Suzanne Eaton, 60, American, gone for a run, Crete, 2 Jul 2019 *ARREST*

[Patrick Jane]

I've read numerous books on WWII and the Battle of Crete, and I've been to Xamoudohori (the village with the bunkers) numerous times and have many relatives there, but I had no idea there were any bunkers there. I asked one of my relatives who is in her upper 70s and has lived in the village her entire life if she had heard of these bunkers, and she had no idea they were even there.

 

[otto]

I am not familiar with the road to Afrata, but I have been to the village where the Academy is located in Kolymbari. The video which CityDancer posted was among the most isolated stretches of roads I've seen on the island.

As someone mentioned earlier, the roadside memorial boxes are called "little churches" in Greek, so usually when someone mentions a church, they're referring to an actual church.

Thank you! It does look like it was an opportunistic crime where Suzanne was alone in an isolated area at the same time that a predator was in the area. It wouldn't surprise me if the suspect drove back and forth a bit before attacking her.

Were you aware of the bunker where her body was found prior to her murder?

... I see that you just answered my question about the bunker. Thanks

 

[Patrick Jane]

In Crete there is the siesta hour 3-5 (or 6) pm. Most Greeks eat a late lunch at around 2 or 2:30 pm. The work day is usually from about 8am-2pm (or 3pm). One theory I was wondering about is perhaps the perp worked in Afrata or somewhere in that area, and was returning back from work at the time he encountered the victim. I don't know if those times match up with when the victim was last seen. But, given his knowledge of Xamoudohori, it's more likely to me that he is from or lives in that region than that he lives in Afrata region/village.
JMO (just my opinion)

 

[otto]

I've read numerous books on WWII and the Battle of Crete, and I've been to Xamoudohori (the village with the bunkers) numerous times and have many relatives there, but I had no idea there were any bunkers there. I asked one of my relatives who is in her upper 70s and has lived in the village her entire life if she had heard of these bunkers, and she had no idea they were even there.

That's interesting, and does point to someone who may have lived in the area knowing about the bunker. Between cell phone tracking, burlap, knowledge of the bunker and being local, police should be able to solve this fairly quickly.

 

[CityDancer]

@Patrick Jane are you Greek too?

 

[otto]

In Crete there is the siesta hour 3-5 (or 6) pm. Most Greeks eat a late lunch at around 2 or 2:30 pm. The work day is usually from about 8am-2pm (or 3pm). One theory I was wondering about is perhaps the perp worked in Afrata or somewhere in that area, and was returning back from work at the time he encountered the victim. I don't know if those times match up with when the victim was last seen. But, given his knowledge of Xamoudohori, it's more likely to me that he is from or lives in that region than that he lives in Afrata region/village.
JMO (just my opinion)

That timeline does work with the time of her disappearance. She was last seen at the academy playing the piano at 3PM. It has been reported that she was abducted between 3 - 5PM. She was seen at the village of Afrata and was returning to the academy when abducted, so my guess is that something happened around 4 or 4:30PM.

 

[CityDancer]

That timeline does work with the time of her disappearance. She was last seen at the academy playing the piano at 3PM. It has been reported that she was abducted between 3 - 5PM. She was seen at the village of Afrata and was returning to the academy when abducted, so my guess is that something happened around 4 or 4:30PM.

IMHO the old man who crossed paths with her right after the "bridge" provides the most reliable clue re: timing. Her abduction must have happened only minutes later.

 

[Patrick Jane]

@Patrick Jane are you Greek too?

Greek and American.

 

[Patrick Jane]

I'm also starting to think this may have been an opportunistic assault. Attractive woman running on the side of the road...perp stopped (maybe she accepted a ride back, maybe he offered water) and he came on to her, Dr Eaton resisted and he persisted and grabbed her. He didn't expect her to fight back with her skills, he became enraged. He had a knife, forced her to get in his vehicle.
If she had been killed at the location, I think he would have left her there, who would know?
I hope he has bruises, injuries, and certainly hope this perp isn't a temp who has hightailed it off the island. He could have known about the bunker from whomever, and not necessarily be a permanent resident on the island.

I was thinking about this scenario, but I think the perp would have to have the right type of vehicle to accomplish this.
Something like a van or possibly a truck. Painter vans, delivery vans, etc. would be what I would think of.

 

[Elainera]

Welcome @Patrick Jane ! Great to have another local here.

Interesting that your family member who lived in the area all her life never knew of the cave. The perp must be someone who lives or used to live very close to it. jmo

 

[otto]

Welcome @Patrick Jane ! Great to have another local here.

Interesting that your family member who lived in the area all her life never knew of the cave. The perp must be someone who lives or used to live very close to it. jmo

It's also possible that someone heard stories from a relative who was aware of Germans in that area during WW2 (e.g.: Nazi collaborators). People who lived through the war talked about it for a long time, and some shared stories with their children in the 1950s and 60s.

 

[Hanoi2009]

My first case here was, sadly, the Mollie Tibbetts case. It, too, involved a woman running, and I have many thoughts on both as a runner myself.

Every runner I know is a creature of habit. We wear specific things, have certain pre-run habits and follow the same paths.

I want to know when she ate and how much/what. Running her usual 3.1 miles would not require much energy or sustenance- I can easily do it in the morning before bfast- so I would doubt she ate much right before the run. If she did eat a lot around 1:00, she was possibly playing the piano to let her lunch settle. I also totally disagree with the idea that she would pop to a taverna for food right before she ran, esp. in that heat.

Much has been made about the heat, but 80 degrees plus is not a big deal for a seasoned runner. Waiting till 5:00 would not usually drop the temp much, and we daily runners have to get it in when we can, context be damned. Having run the previous two days, she would know what she was dealing with.

As she had been to that conference before, I would imagine she had a set route of her preferred distance. Her runs the two days before could also have established this route. This would allow her to run w/out a phone. Run to your turnaround point and come back. Easy and mindless. This would, unfortunately, make her moves predictable to anyone watching.

I believe she intended to set out on her usual route- but what confuses me is the mileage. Her family has said that she usually did about 3 total. Running 3 to Afrata and then turning back for a total of 6 doesn’t fit with her daily routine or the day’s time frame with sessions resuming at 6:00. I’d like to know her usual pace. It’s possible to do 6, of course, but her average pace would be useful.

I also disagree with her taking a ride. If she did, I believe it would absolutely have to be with someone she really knew. She was a brilliant woman, and we female runners are always on super high alert. No chance she willingly took a ride from a stranger, even if she was injured (which has not been indicated).

SE’s family said she did not usually run with headphones or a watch, so no music. That automatically makes her more alert and aware of her surroundings. That likely helped with the defense and her ability to get DNA from the perp. She must’ve heard them coming, if they got her from behind.

With the Mollie case, I felt strongly that she was just attacked while running, and I allowed myself to be swayed by other theories. I don’t think this was ISIS or some Mafia shepherds- I think it was some depraved individual who saw her alone and attacked. JMHO

 

[glassheater]

My first case here was, sadly, the Mollie Tibbetts case. It, too, involved a woman running, and I have many thoughts on both as a runner myself.

Every runner I know is a creature of habit. We wear specific things, have certain pre-run habits and follow the same paths.

I want to know when she ate and how much/what. Running her usual 3.1 miles would not require much energy or sustenance- I can easily do it in the morning before bfast- so I would doubt she ate much right before the run. If she did eat a lot around 1:00, she was possibly playing the piano to let her lunch settle. I also totally disagree with the idea that she would pop to a taverna for food right before she ran, esp. in that heat.

Much has been made about the heat, but 80 degrees plus is not a big deal for a seasoned runner. Waiting till 5:00 would not usually drop the temp much, and we daily runners have to get it in when we can, context be damned. Having run the previous two days, she would know what she was dealing with.

As she had been to that conference before, I would imagine she had a set route of her preferred distance. Her runs the two days before could also have established this route. This would allow her to run w/out a phone. Run to your turnaround point and come back. Easy and mindless. This would, unfortunately, make her moves predictable to anyone watching.

I believe she intended to set out on her usual route- but what confuses me is the mileage. Her family has said that she usually did about 3 total. Running 3 to Afrata and then turning back for a total of 6 doesn’t fit with her daily routine or the day’s time frame with sessions resuming at 6:00. I’d like to know her usual pace. It’s possible to do 6, of course, but her average pace would be useful.

I also disagree with her taking a ride. If she did, I believe it would absolutely have to be with someone she really knew. She was a brilliant woman, and we female runners are always on super high alert. No chance she willingly took a ride from a stranger, even if she was injured (which has not been indicated).

SE’s family said she did not usually run with headphones or a watch, so no music. That automatically makes her more alert and aware of her surroundings. That likely helped with the defense and her ability to get DNA from the perp. She must’ve heard them coming, if they got her from behind.

With the Mollie case, I felt strongly that she was just attacked while running, and I allowed myself to be swayed by other theories. I don’t think this was ISIS or some Mafia shepherds- I think it was some depraved individual who saw her alone and attacked. JMHO

Thank you for your insight. I just want to point out that the day before, she ran south. Sounds like she varies her routine as to see different points of the island. I think it was a completely opportunistic attack versus she takes the same routine and had been followed.

 

[Smoneywcbs]

My first case here was, sadly, the Mollie Tibbetts case. It, too, involved a woman running, and I have many thoughts on both as a runner myself.

Every runner I know is a creature of habit. We wear specific things, have certain pre-run habits and follow the same paths.

I want to know when she ate and how much/what. Running her usual 3.1 miles would not require much energy or sustenance- I can easily do it in the morning before bfast- so I would doubt she ate much right before the run. If she did eat a lot around 1:00, she was possibly playing the piano to let her lunch settle. I also totally disagree with the idea that she would pop to a taverna for food right before she ran, esp. in that heat.

Much has been made about the heat, but 80 degrees plus is not a big deal for a seasoned runner. Waiting till 5:00 would not usually drop the temp much, and we daily runners have to get it in when we can, context be damned. Having run the previous two days, she would know what she was dealing with.

As she had been to that conference before, I would imagine she had a set route of her preferred distance. Her runs the two days before could also have established this route. This would allow her to run w/out a phone. Run to your turnaround point and come back. Easy and mindless. This would, unfortunately, make her moves predictable to anyone watching.

I believe she intended to set out on her usual route- but what confuses me is the mileage. Her family has said that she usually did about 3 total. Running 3 to Afrata and then turning back for a total of 6 doesn’t fit with her daily routine or the day’s time frame with sessions resuming at 6:00. I’d like to know her usual pace. It’s possible to do 6, of course, but her average pace would be useful.

I also disagree with her taking a ride. If she did, I believe it would absolutely have to be with someone she really knew. She was a brilliant woman, and we female runners are always on super high alert. No chance she willingly took a ride from a stranger, even if she was injured (which has not been indicated).

SE’s family said she did not usually run with headphones or a watch, so no music. That automatically makes her more alert and aware of her surroundings. That likely helped with the defense and her ability to get DNA from the perp. She must’ve heard them coming, if they got her from behind.

With the Mollie case, I felt strongly that she was just attacked while running, and I allowed myself to be swayed by other theories. I don’t think this was ISIS or some Mafia shepherds- I think it was some depraved individual who saw her alone and attacked. JMHO

I agree with everything here. I’m a runner, too, and bumping it up from 3 to 6 miles is strange, unless it was a “long” run of the week for her. Another beautiful life lost. Senseless.

 

[glassheater]

I agree with everything here. I’m a runner, too, and bumping it up from 3 to 6 miles is strange, unless it was a “long” run of the week for her. Another beautiful life lost. Senseless.

I vary my mileage a bit too. But I’m surprised she would run so far without ANYTHING. No water, no cell, not even a couple euros for a water in Afrata.

 

[Smoneywcbs]

I vary my mileage a bit too. But I’m surprised she would run so far without ANYTHING. No water, no cell, not even a couple euros for a water in Afrata.

I don’t need water for just 6 miles, unless it’s super hot. I’m a wimp, I don’t run in high heat. I’m a bit behind on this thread, what was the temp on the day she went missing?

I’m never without my cell, though.

 

[otto]

My first case here was, sadly, the Mollie Tibbetts case. It, too, involved a woman running, and I have many thoughts on both as a runner myself.

Every runner I know is a creature of habit. We wear specific things, have certain pre-run habits and follow the same paths.

I want to know when she ate and how much/what. Running her usual 3.1 miles would not require much energy or sustenance- I can easily do it in the morning before bfast- so I would doubt she ate much right before the run. If she did eat a lot around 1:00, she was possibly playing the piano to let her lunch settle. I also totally disagree with the idea that she would pop to a taverna for food right before she ran, esp. in that heat.

Much has been made about the heat, but 80 degrees plus is not a big deal for a seasoned runner. Waiting till 5:00 would not usually drop the temp much, and we daily runners have to get it in when we can, context be damned. Having run the previous two days, she would know what she was dealing with.

As she had been to that conference before, I would imagine she had a set route of her preferred distance. Her runs the two days before could also have established this route. This would allow her to run w/out a phone. Run to your turnaround point and come back. Easy and mindless. This would, unfortunately, make her moves predictable to anyone watching.

I believe she intended to set out on her usual route- but what confuses me is the mileage. Her family has said that she usually did about 3 total. Running 3 to Afrata and then turning back for a total of 6 doesn’t fit with her daily routine or the day’s time frame with sessions resuming at 6:00. I’d like to know her usual pace. It’s possible to do 6, of course, but her average pace would be useful.

I also disagree with her taking a ride. If she did, I believe it would absolutely have to be with someone she really knew. She was a brilliant woman, and we female runners are always on super high alert. No chance she willingly took a ride from a stranger, even if she was injured (which has not been indicated).

SE’s family said she did not usually run with headphones or a watch, so no music. That automatically makes her more alert and aware of her surroundings. That likely helped with the defense and her ability to get DNA from the perp. She must’ve heard them coming, if they got her from behind.

With the Mollie case, I felt strongly that she was just attacked while running, and I allowed myself to be swayed by other theories. I don’t think this was ISIS or some Mafia shepherds- I think it was some depraved individual who saw her alone and attacked. JMHO

I also see parallels with Mollie Tibbetts. I agree that Suzanne was very likely jogging a familiar route. The suspect very likely had seen her jogging on the previous two days and may have driven past her more than once prior to the attack, waiting for her to be at a more isolated location. As with Mollie, I think it was attack first - no conversation, abduct her (in Mollie's case she was put in the trunk of the vehicle), and immediately take her to a place where she was assaulted.

I wonder if Suzanne spoke any Greek. We know that she was fluent in German and English, but if she didn't speak enough Greek to communicate with someone who doesn't speak English ...

 

[Elainera]

Running 3 to Afrata and then turning back for a total of 6 doesn’t fit with her daily routine

Maybe she didn't run all the way to Afrata. Maybe she turned back a mile before the village?

 

[Patrick Jane]

That timeline does work with the time of her disappearance. She was last seen at the academy playing the piano at 3PM. It has been reported that she was abducted between 3 - 5PM. She was seen at the village of Afrata and was returning to the academy when abducted, so my guess is that something happened around 4 or 4:30PM.

So this is right during the siesta hour, which would mean that this already isolated road would have even less cars on the road at that time.

 

[Hanoi2009]

Thank you for your insight. I just want to point out that the day before, she ran south. Sounds like she varies her routine as to see different points of the island. I think it was a completely opportunistic attack versus she takes the same routine and had been followed.

Didn’t mean to imply she did the exact same route every day. Running the same route every day would be boring, no doubt, so I’m sure she did have a couple of short options. If she ran w/out her phone that could track her distance, she would’ve run it before or measured it somehow. How I wish she had run with it that day!