Body of missing British backpacker found in lift shaft in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian police confirmed on June 5 that the body of a man found a day earlier in a Kuala Lumpur lift shaft was that of a British backpacker who was missing for more than a week.

Mr Jordan Johnson-Doyle, 25, was last seen on May 27 at a bar in an upmarket suburb in the capital, sparking a police probe and a frenzied search by his parents.

Police on June 4 afternoon “received information that a man was found lying on his back in the lift (shaft) on the ground floor of a (building) construction site,” Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Mohd Isa said in a statement.

Fire and rescue services recovered the body, which was sent for a post mortem, he added.

“The results found that the cause of death was a chest injury sustained from a fall from height,” Datuk Rusdi said.

“No criminal elements were found at the scene and the case has been classified as a sudden death report,” he said, adding the body was identified by the victim’s uncle based on a tattoo.

Brickfields district police chief Ku Mashariman Ku Mahmood confirmed to AFP that Mr Johnson-Doyle was identified as the victim.

Mr Johnson-Doyle, a software engineer, was last seen on May 27 in the bustling Bangsar district, known for its nightlife, trendy bars and cafes.

Mr Johnson-Doyle’s mother Leanne Burnett, 44, told the Free Malaysia Today news website that her husband had travelled to Kuala Lumpur to look for their son, adding that the family was “distraught” over his disappearance.

Local reports said Mr Johnson-Doyle was on a solo backpacking trip around South-east Asia when he disappeared. AFP