Two out of three forensics experts, who performed an autopsy on the dead body of a foreign news agency journalist, suspect she was likely murdered, probably by strangulation, a news channel reported on Tuesday.
Maria Golovnina, 34, the Pakistan and Afghanistan bureau chief for foreign news wire Reuters had died on Monday after collapsing in the office in Islamabad. She was rushed to hospital but doctors were unable to save her.
“Some marks on the deceased’s neck along with bluish discoloration of nails, lips, and heels point to what could be suspected as ‘struggle’ immediately before death but it will be premature to say anything before a laboratory analysis,” the channel’s quoted one of the experts on a three-member medical board.
On the contrary one of the experts did not agree with his co-panelists.
Dr Javed Ikram, Vice Chancellor Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), told the channel that it would take at least a week for the pathologist to complete the tissue and chemical analysis of the samples collected by the medical board.
Dr Ikram, who confirmed there were bruise marks on Golovnina’s heels; however he refused to comment on whether the marks on the neck of the late journalist were of strangulation.
“I can’t say anything about it. Let the experts find out what caused her death,” he said, adding,” There were no rope marks on her wrists.”
