Bali police are investigating the death of an Australian retiree, after the Perth man’s bloodied body was found in his Sanur rental villa on Monday afternoon.
Police are not yet sure if Stephen James Richardson was murdered but are exploring if it was foul play after the 63-year-old was discovered with wounds on his right arm, right cheek, and forehead.
A bedroom window in the villa was shattered and a glass cabinet door was broken, indicating a violent struggle, say local police, but reports have also noted that the man had a history of heart disease.
“The first possibility is that the foreigner died due to an assault as there are wounds on his body,” Denpasar Police Chief Hadi Purnomo said.
“The victim also had a habit of drinking alcohol… so there is a possibility that the victim died due to be drunk and falling and hitting glass.”
If Richardson’s “unnatural death” was indeed a homicide, police don’t think the broken window was an entry point though.
“The scene was intact – no sign of forced entry has been found yet,” South Denpasar Police Chief Wisnu Wardana told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“The gate was locked, so was the door to the room where the body was found.”
To top things off though, a knife was also apparently found at the scene.
It was Richardson’s friend Garry Croker who apparently found the man’s body first. After Richardson never turned up to a wedding anniversary party on Saturday night and several days going by of not being able to reach him on his mobile, Croker says he grew concerned and went to his friend’s villa. Since the gate was locked, Croker borrowed a ladder from next door and climbed the fence to uncover the grisly scene.
“It (the door) was open for the cat and I seen him lying there. I jumped back and got the owner to ring the police,” Croker said, as quoted by News Corp Australia.
Photos of the Australian’s bloodied body from the crime scene, of Richardson splayed out naked on a mattress, have apparently convinced his family that this was murder, according to the Daily Mail.
The Australian’s son, Ben Richardson, 29, says he’s determined to uncover what happened to his beloved father.
“I will not stop until I know what really happened because it’s very clear someone took him from us.”
Ben says his retired father lived in Bali on and off for the past 10 years and said there was no reason why anyone would wish him harm.
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