'Murdered' British tourist may have fallen to death in hotel car park
A British tourist found dead in a hotel car park in France earlier this week may have fallen to his death, according to a preliminary forensic report.
The body of John Napoletani, 50, was found lying in a pool of blood with a large wound to the head in the courtyard of a warehouse next to a budget Formule 1 hotel in the Eponettes industrial estate in the town of Dole, near Dijon.
According to Sky News, police said John had been due to spend Saturday night at the hotel with his wife and a friend, but had gone out to "meet someone" - and never returned.
A murder investigation was launched after John's wife Evelyn Napoletani reported him missing on Sunday morning.
Police were orginially treating the death as suspicious.
However, early results of a post mortem examination suggest Napoletani might have fallen over, hitting his head against the floor, France 3 television reported.
According to International Business Times, staff at the hotel said Napoletani was drinking with his wife and friends in Saturday night and police found a large number of wine bottles in their car.
Napoletani's friend was also reportedly taken to hospital suffering from alcohol intoxication on Sunday morning.
A police source said Napoletani's body was found just below a 2.40 metre-high wall and "it was plausible" he fell from it and "hit his head on the pavement."
Although a weapon has not been found, detectives have not ruled out foul play and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
According to authorities, he was wearing a blue waistcoat over a Hawaiian shirt of the same colour, beige trousers and sandals when he ventured out of the hotel on Saturday night.
They are asking anyone who met or saw him the night he died to contact the investigating team at +33(0)380445870.
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