Catherine Shaw: Body of 23-year-old found dead in Guatemala showed signs of trauma, doctor says

Apparent ‘blows’ found on backpacker's body, doctor says

The body of an English woman found dead in Guatemala showed signs of trauma, according to the doctor performing a post-mortem examination.

Miguel Angel Samayoa said he found apparent “blows to the body” of 23-year-old Catherine Shaw, who went missing last week, and whose remains were found on Monday.

The doctor added that there were no apparent bullet or stab wounds and that he expected to conclude the autopsy by the end of the day on Tuesday.

The Lucie Blackman Trust, which has been helping Ms Shaw’s family, issued a statement urging people not to speculate about her death since not all of the facts are known and saying it may have been a “tragic accident” not involving foul play.

The charity added that Ms Shaw had been fasting for days before her disappearance and “disposing of possessions, including clothing”.

The statement added: “She was very much a nature lover and adored sunrises, so it seems quite conceivable that she went up the mountain to greet the sunrise, shedding clothing as she went, and due to her lack of intake of food and fluid may have passed out or fallen, causing the wounds to her body.

“Catherine just loved mountains and sunrises,” the family was quoted as saying. “She died doing what she loved.”

Ms Shaw, from Witney, in Oxfordshire, was reported missing on 5 March after she vanished from Eco Hotel Mayachik in the area of Lake Atitlan, near San Pedro and San Juan.

She is said to have left her hotel in the early hours of Tuesday morning, but later returned.

She then left again and took a puppy with her but no possessions as she headed in the direction of the lake.

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The animal was later found alone at the highest lookout of Indian Nose, a volcano overlooking Lake Atitlan, San Pedro and San Juan, between 5am and 6am on Friday morning.

Police confirmed Ms Shaw’s naked body was found among brush at a mountain overlook called Nariz del Indio on Monday.

Ms Shaw had been backpacking in Guatemala with a friend for two weeks at the time she disappeared.

She had been travelling since September and had already visited Mexico and California.