Skeleton found in Guatemala likely that of missing US birdwatcher
She had stayed behind with the group, taking photos, and reported him missing as soon as she realised he had not arrived at their hotel room in the Tikal National Park, local media reported at the time.Search parties were quickly sent out - just half an hour after Ashcroft had split from his group - but found no trace of the missing tourist. Sniffer dogs were brought in to search the dense vegetation of the national park but to no avail.Weeks after his disappearance, Interpol issued a yellow notice but no reports of any sightings were made and no trace of his belongings were found until this week.Human bones and clothes matching those worn by Ashcroft were spotted in the jungle 14km from the archaeological site by residents of a nearby village, Mr Soza told a local radio station.According to the official from the Guatemalan Attorney-General's Office for Crimes Against Foreign Tourists, the remains lay within dense vegetation and could only be reached on foot. He added that a DNA test would determine if the remains were those of Ashcroft.Tourists have gone missing before and since in the vast national park. In 2022, a 53-year-old German man became separated from his group and died from heat stroke.And in 2023, a French family was found dehydrated but safe after being lost for two days.
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Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
Lebanese murder suspect ‘killed beauty queen then fled to Britain on a small boat'
A Lebanese man accused of murdering his model wife arrived in Britain on a small boat from France. While Ibrahim Ghazal is currently serving a nine-month sentence in jail for arriving in the UK without a valid entry clearance, concerns have been raised about whether he will be able to be deported once he is released. The 36-year-old allegedly suffocated his beauty queen wife Zeina Kanjo to death in Beirut in 2021 and was the subject of an Interpol red notice. The alleged killer arrived as one of the 23,000 people who have crossed the English Channel from France in 2025. There are fears he may try the same defence to avoid being deported from the UK later this year. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the Ghazal case showed the Starmer government had no control over migrants entering Britain. 'As we know that the illegal immigrants arriving are from nationalities 24 times more likely to end up in prison, especially for sex offences,' Mr Philp told The Daily Mail. 'Every illegal immigrant should be immediately deported upon arrival - then the crossings would soon end.' Ms Kanjo's murder in 2021 caused outrage in Lebanon and started a national debate about domestic violence issues facing women in the middle eastern nation. The 33-year-old model, who had represented her country in a beauty contest in Egypt the previous years, had filed domestic violence and fraud charges against her new husband and was trying to divorce him when he allegedly killed her, according to The Daily Mail. 'I didn't want her to die' Just hours after her death, Ghazal fled to Turkey. Al Jadeed, a Lebanese TV channel, broadcast an audio recording in which he appeared to admit responsibility. In a conversation with Ms Zeina's sister, he allegedly said, 'I didn't want to, I didn't want her to die, when she was screaming, I just put my hand on her mouth'. Ghazal travelled through a string of European countries, including Greece, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, before he was arrested in Stockholm, Sweden, in December 2022. Ashraf Al-Moussawi, Ms Kanjo's lawyer, said Ghazal avoided extradition for years by claiming he faced a possible execution for his alleged crimes if he returned to Lebanon. 'In reality, Lebanon hasn't carried out an execution since 1994, so it shouldn't have been an obstacle,' he said. Detained by Border Force Mr Al-Moussawi and Ms Kanjo's father, Mohammed, urged the UK government to find a way to send Ghazal back to Lebanon to face justice. Ghazal was detained by Border Force and jailed by judge Ian Lawrie KC at Gloucester Crown Court last Wednesday after admitting entering the country unlawfully. A Home Office spokesman said they never commented on whether extradition requests had been received. 'It is also our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases,' the spokesman said. 'However, we will always do everything in our power to remove serious foreign criminals from the UK so they are not left free on our streets after completing their sentences.'
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Killer' accused of murdering beauty queen ‘fled to UK on small boat' as heartbroken dad fears he'll never get justice
BOAT HORROR 'Killer' accused of murdering beauty queen 'fled to UK on small boat' as heartbroken dad fears he'll never get justice Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAN accused of murdering his beauty queen wife fled to the UK on a small boat, it is claimed. Ibrahim Ghazal, from Lebanon, is alleged to have suffocated Zeina Kanjo to death in Beirut before moving around Europe for years. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Ibrahim Ghazal is accused of murdering his wife Zeina Kanjo Credit: Instagram 4 Zeina was suffocated to death just months after she got married Credit: Instagram 4 The year before her death, she had represented her country in a beauty pageant in Egypt Credit: Instagram The 36-year-old - who is subject to an Interpol red notice - eventually travelled to Britain from France this year along with thousands of other migrants. Ghazal was jailed last week jailed for nine months for attempting to arrive without valid entry clearance after being arrested by Border Force. Government officials are facing a possible crisis ahead of his sentence expiring. Ms Kanjo's dad Mohammed fears his daughter will never get justice if the alleged killer returns to Lebanon and is hopeful the British legal system can step up. READ MORE NEWS MIGRANT 'SPIT ATTACK' Homeless migrant who came to UK on dinghy denies spitting at cop Ghazal was protected from extradition from Germany and Sweden under Human Rights laws by claiming he faced execution in his homeland, reports MailOnline. There are fears Ghazal could do the same to remain in Britain. Ms Kanjo, 33, was murdered in January 2021, having apparently got married just four months earlier. Her death sparked a national debate in Lebanon about domestic abuse. Ms Kanjo had filed domestic violence and fraud cases against her new husband and was trying to divorce him when she was killed, according to reports. She had represented her country at a beauty contest in Egypt the previous year. 16 arrested after protests outside Epping migrant hotel as ring of steel ramps up around TWO asylum seeker centres Ghazal allegedly fled to Turkey hours after his wife's death. Lebanese channel Al Jadeed broadcast an audio recording in which he allegedly admitted to the murder. Speaking to Ms Kanjo's sister, the person says: "I didn't want to, I didn't want her to die, when she was screaming, I just put my hand on her mouth." Ghazal is understood to have travelled through Greece, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. He was arrested in December 2022 in Stokholm under Interpol's red notice. However, Swedish laws prevented him from being extradited back home where he said he faced execution, and when he was detained again in Germany, the same thing happened, according to Ms Kanjo's lawyer Ashraf Al-Moussawi. Mr Al-Moussawi has pointed out Lebanon has not carried out an execution since 1994 and so this should not have been used as a defence. He added the alleged killer then "wandered Europe until his recent arrest in England". The lawyer has urged the British government to find a way to send Ghazal back to his homeland to face justice. Ms Kanjo's dad Mohammed claims his daughter's husband had sneaked back into Lebanon to attend his cousin's wedding a year after his wife's death. "After all this time, I'm left wondering if justice will ever be served," he told the Mail. "It's like something is missing from your body, something that is not replaceable. "I honestly hope he's not handed over to Lebanese authorities only to be imprisoned and then released again." He added perhaps the UK legal system can "find a way to properly punish him". Ghazal was detained by Border Force and jailed at Gloucester Crown Court last Wednesday after admitting to entering the country unlawfully. A Government spokesman said: "The Home Office never comments on whether extradition requests have or have not been received, and it is also our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases. "However, we will always do everything in our power to remove serious foreign criminals from the UK so they are not left free on our streets after completing their sentence." The Sun has approached the Home Office for further comment. Do you know more? Email
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
‘Killer' accused of murdering beauty queen ‘fled to UK on small boat' as heartbroken dad fears he'll never get justice
A MAN accused of murdering his beauty queen wife fled to the UK on a small boat, it is claimed. Ibrahim Ghazal, from Lebanon, is alleged to have suffocated Zeina Kanjo to death in Beirut before moving around Europe for years. 3 3 The 36-year-old - who is subject to an Interpol red notice - eventually travelled to Britain from France this year along with thousands of other migrants. Ghazal was jailed last week jailed for nine months for attempting to arrive without valid entry clearance after being arrested by Border Force. Government officials are facing a possible crisis ahead of his sentence expiring. Ms Kanjo's dad Mohammed fears his daughter will never get justice if the alleged killer returns to Lebanon and is hopeful the British legal system can step up. There are fears Ghazal could do the same to remain in Britain. Ms Kanjo, 33, was murdered in January 2021, having apparently got married just four months earlier. Her death sparked a national debate in Lebanon about domestic abuse. Ms Kanjo had filed domestic violence and fraud cases against her new husband and was trying to divorce him when she was killed, according to reports. She had represented her country at a beauty contest in Egypt the previous year. Ghazal allegedly fled to Turkey hours after his wife's death. Lebanese channel Al Jadeed broadcast an audio recording in which he allegedly admitted to the murder. Speaking to Ms Kanjo's sister, the person says: "I didn't want to, I didn't want her to die, when she was screaming, I just put my hand on her mouth." Ghazal is understood to have travelled through Greece, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. He was arrested in December 2022 in Stokholm under Interpol's red notice. However, Swedish laws prevented him from being extradited back home where he said he faced execution, and when he was detained again in Germany, the same thing happened, according to Ms Kanjo's lawyer Ashraf Al-Moussawi. Mr Al-Moussawi has pointed out Lebanon has not carried out an execution since 1994 and so this should not have been used as a defence. He added the alleged killer then "wandered Europe until his recent arrest in England". The lawyer has urged the British government to find a way to send Ghazal back to his homeland to face justice. Ms Kanjo's dad Mohammed claims his daughter's husband had sneaked back into Lebanon to attend his cousin's wedding a year after his wife's death. "After all this time, I'm left wondering if justice will ever be served," he told the Mail. "It's like something is missing from your body, something that is not replaceable. "I honestly hope he's not handed over to Lebanese authorities only to be imprisoned and then released again." He added perhaps the UK legal system can "find a way to properly punish him". Ghazal was detained by Border Force and jailed at Gloucester Crown Court last Wednesday after admitting to entering the country unlawfully. A Government spokesman said: "The Home Office never comments on whether extradition requests have or have not been received, and it is also our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases. "However, we will always do everything in our power to remove serious foreign criminals from the UK so they are not left free on our streets after completing their sentence."
