Joshua Parfitt
THE body of missing British man Philip Pearce, 68, has been found near a Benidorm graveyard.
Policía Nacional told the Olive Press the pensioner’s body was found on November 23 last year – over two months after he went missing on September 10.
However, DNA results took until February 6 to return and confirm the identity of the body, according to the police spokesman.
“The body was in an advanced state of decomposition and could not be immediately identified.
“He was found on the ground in a patch of countryside near a cemetery and the PP3 industrial zone.
“There were no signs of violence nor of any crime committed; he died of natural causes.”
Philip was found with a number of ‘€5’ and ‘€20’ notes still on him.
The spokesperson could not confirm whether it was the ‘same amount’ as when Philip was taken to the Comisaría of the Policía Nacional in Benidorm just after midnight on September 10.
He added Philip must have ‘got lost’ and wondered to the area where he later died, and which is roughly a 2km walk from the Comisaría.
He was found by a hunter out stalking in the patch of countryside where Philip was found.
It comes after Philip’s son Lee Pearce criticised Benidorm police for refusing to hand over CCTV footage of Philip leaving the Comisaría around 3am on September 10.
In official emails seen by the Olive Press, Policía Nacional revealed the pensioner had clearly told them ‘did not remember where he was staying’ nor even where he was from in England before he left the station.
