Missing Briton Gareth Huntley: Mum gives DNA sample to identify body
The mother of a British backpacker who went missing in the Malaysian jungle has reportedly provided a sample of her DNA to help determine whether a body found on an island is her son.
Gareth Huntley, 34, disappeared on May 27 when he went on a trek to a waterfall on Tioman Island, off the south-eastern coast of the country's mainland.
Malaysian police said a post-mortem examination did not find a cause of death and that they could not rule out the possibility of foul play, according to local reports.
The identity has yet to be confirmed as that of Mr Huntley, and police said results of a DNA sample from the body would not be known until Sunday, Malaysian newspaper The Star said.
Mr Huntley's mother, Janet Southwell, has given blood to hospital staff so they can carry out a DNA comparison police said.
A body feared to be that of Mr Huntley was found on Wednesday in a pond just yards from a kayak storage shed at the Juara Turtle Project where he had been volunteering.
It was discovered behind a row of cabins used by rescue times during the search, The Star said.
Pahang state police chief Sharifuddin Ab Ghani told the Telegraph that the body was decomposing and was found clothed in shorts, socks and shoes, but with no shirt. An iPhone was also found nearby, but there was no sign of any personal documentation.
Mr Sharifuddin said: "The cause of death is still undetermined, hence this case is still classified as sudden death at this stage, although we can't rule out any possibilities of foul play."
He added that there did not appear to be any visible wounds and that the body did not look like that of a Malay.
Mr Huntley, of Hackney, east London, who is originally from the Leeds-Bradford border, was on a sabbatical from his job in the City.
Ms Southwell arrived in Malaysia on Monday after Prime Minister David Cameron spoke to Malaysia's prime minister Najib Razak about the search effort.
Source: PA
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