Natalie’s manner of death still unknown

A post mortem carried out on the body of Natalie Christopher, whose body was found on a Greek vacation island, confirmed preliminary reports that the British Cypriot scientist died after falling from up high, while crime investigators have yet to rule on the manner of death.

Greek forensic pathologist Nikos Karakoukis, who conducted an autopsy at the scene on Ikaria island, confirmed on Saturday that a post mortem examination showed Natalie’s death was consistent with injury after falling.

Karakoukis said 35-year-old Natalie had suffered multiple injuries, mainly around the head as well as blunt force fractures, which caused her death following a fall from up high.

But the forensic examiner stopped short of describing the manner of death, adding that criminal investigators were still working on the case.

“Any criminal act and the manner of death, if it exists, will be ascertained following the completion of the police preliminary inquiry,” Karakoukis told TV reporters.

The forensic pathologist told media on Thursday, following an on-site autopsy, that a bloodstain pattern analysis at the scene of Natalie’s death was consistent with injury after falling, essentially pointing to a massive head wound that would have rendered her unconscious with an instantaneous death.

New information revealed that Natalie had struck her head on the way down, suffering an overwhelming fracture of the occipital bone, a broken clavicle, as well as bone injuries to the knee and left arm.

Fracture of the occipital bone requires a great amount of force, hence when the occipital is fractured the magnitude of the force is considerable and sufficient to cause death. 

Natalie was reported missing on Monday by her Cypriot boyfriend, Kyriacos, who told police she had gone out jogging and that he started to be concerned after she had failed to answer his follow up phone calls.

Kyriacos was said to have identified Natalie’s body by her shoes, while media reported that the man appeared distraught and initially “hysterical” upon hearing a body had been found just over a kilometre away from the couple’s hotel.

Questions over bloodstains from nosebleed that belonged to Natalie and had been found in the couple’s hotel room, emerged early on in the story, with Start News saying Kyriacos had been under a cloud of suspicion.

Later reports pointed out that blood could have been the result of an irritation or trauma.

“I have nothing to say about that, I had nothing to do with it,” Kyriacos said according to Star News.

No suspects have been named in Natalie’s death, with officials and multiple reports pointing to an accident.

Natalie appeared to have been crushed by a pile of large rocks after falling into a gorge from some 20 metres up high. Media have speculated that the London scientist, known as a keen outdoorswoman, might have tried to climb up or down when the rock might have detached.

Natalie was well known for her social outreach and bicommunal activities on the divided island of Cyprus. Friends organized a run on Saturday called the “Living Life Joyfully, the way Natalie did” with Nicosia-based friends meeting up at her favourite Athalassa park.