Tourists to be interviewed following death in Peru

Published on Tuesday 25 March 2008 21:48

A GROUP of British holidaymakers are to be interviewed over the death of a former City auditor who went missing on a trip to the Andes.

Colin Murphy, 44, was last seen at New Year in the area of the former Inca capital Cusco in Peru, not far from the ancient site of Machu Pichu.

The former HSBC auditor's body was eventually recovered two months later from the Urubamba River in Peru.

It was reported that he was initially thought to have drowned, but it is understood that two post-mortem examinations have since found he suffered a head injury.

An inquest has been opened and adjourned in Cambridge, where he is buried, and a coroner's investigation is under way.

Fellow holidaymakers are due to be interviewed as part of the coroner's investigation.

But Cambridgeshire Police said it was awaiting a report from Peruvian officers before launching its own inquiries.

A UK source said a provisional post-mortem in Peru which found he died of a head injury had been confirmed.

A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Police said. "A coroner's officer is conducting inquiries with a number of holidaymakers who were with the man in the days leading up to his death."