Body of missing American scientist found on Greek island

Greek police have recovered a woman’s body on the island of Crete they think belonged to an American scientist who was reported missing last week while attending a conference.

Suzanne Eaton, a 59-year-old molecular biologist at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, was last seen July 2. Colleagues at the conference said they believed Eaton had gone for a run near the port of Chania.

Greek authorities said the body found Monday was in an abandoned World War II bunker in northwest Crete, about seven miles from where Eaton was staying.

While the body hasn’t been identified, the German institute on Tuesday expressed “enormous sadness and regret” over Eaton’s death.

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It said the biologist from Oakland, California, “was an outstanding and inspiring scientist, a loving spouse and mother, an athlete, as well as a truly wonderful person beloved to us all.”

Police have opened an investigation into the cause of death, and transferred the body to the city of Rethymno for an autopsy to determine whether a crime was committed. Homicide detectives from Athens were traveling to Crete to lead the investigation.

Crete police spokesperson Eleni Papathanassiou told ABC News the investigation was still in its early stages.

“At the moment, all possibilities are being examined,” Papathanassiou said Wednesday.

Eaton is survived by her husband, Israeli-born molecular scientist Anthony Hyman, and the couple’s two sons.