The body of this American teacher has been found in her house with her hands and feet tied up and signs of having been tortured.
The police report the victim was identified as Patricia Ann Anton, 63, and her body was found inside her house in the municipality of Cabarete in the province of Puerto Plata, in the northern Dominican Republic.
According to preliminary analysis, her body showed signs of strangulation, spokesman for the National Police Frank Felix Duran told local media.
Anton’s body was reportedly found with the hands and feet tied up, with a gag in her mouth and there were signs she had been tortured.
Preliminary investigations point to a robbery being the motive behind her murder. Reports state her mobile phone, computer and a TV screen were not in the flat anymore.
Local media report the front door of the property had not been forced open so police believe the crime may have been committed by a person or a group of people who knew the victim.
Anton had been living in the Dominican Republic for 15 years and her body has been sent to forensic scientists of the city of Santiago de los Caballeros in order to undergo an autopsy.
Investigators are working to identify suspects and no arrests have been reported.
The US citizen was reportedly an English teacher at a school in Mariposa where she is said to have been well-liked by local residents.
According to the research from the Observatory of Citizen Security, in the first three months of 2019, 240 homicides were registered in the Dominican Republic.
The investigation is ongoing and it is unclear if any suspects have been identified.
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Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
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