A fisherman is being question in connection with the death of an ABC producer who was strangled to death while on holiday in Belize.
The body of Anne Swaney, 39, was discovered on Friday floating in a river wearing only a bra after she disappeared the previous day while doing yoga.
According to police in the small South American nation, a man found fishing close to the scene of the crime has now been apprehended and is being questioned.
Ms Swaney, the executive producer of online operations for ABC, had been holidaying at the Nabatunich cottages in the city of Benque Viejo which is close to the border with Guatemala.
According to Police Superintendent Daniel Arzu, Swaney was last seen going to do yoga on Thursday morning beside the Mopan River close to her resort.
A tour guide discovered Ms Swaney’s yoga mat and other items close to the water, but after being unable to locate her, alerted the authorities.
The following day, police dogs led officers to a part of the river where Ms Swaney’s body was found at around 8.15am.
A report from investigators says that an examination of her body at the scene showed visible bruises around her neck and lacerations on her head.
According to officers: ‘A post mortem autopsy was performed and revealed the cause of death to be asphyxia due to compression of the neck area, throttling and blunt force traumatic injuries to the head and neck.’
While it was earlier reported that Ms Swaney had suffered a sexual assault before being killed, police said they found no evidence of this during the post mortem.
‘She was a trailblazer in the digital news space and was one of our first website employees,’ said John H. Idler, president of ABC7.
‘Anne helped us evolve our business and our newsroom, but most importantly, she was a kind person who was always had a smile and a positive attitude.’
A State Department official said in a statement: ‘We offer our sincerest condolences to her family and loved ones on their loss. Our consular staff is providing all possible consular assistance.’
The Nabitunich cottages are a collection of small stone buildings available to rent for tourists on a working farm in the small town of Benque Viejo.
Earning rave reviews on Tripadvisor, where it’s lowest score is four stars, Nabitunich advertises itself online as a family owned retreat combined with an organic farm.
