Biker with dead passenger starts Mexican murder hunt
Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:55 AM BST163
TIJUANA, Mexico (Reuters) - A motorcyclist with a helmet-wearing corpse strapped to his back crashed in this Mexican city on the U.S. border on Friday and fled on foot, setting off a police murder hunt.
The unidentified driver was trying to ride with the body through the centre of Tijuana, south of San Diego, California., when he lost control rounding a curve.
He fled the scene, leaving the dead passenger on the curb. Police said the corpse, which had head injuries and bore strangulation marks, had died at least six hours earlier.
"When the police arrived they took the helmet off the corpse, believing at first that he had died in the crash," said Francisco Castro, a spokesman for the Baja California state police's homicide division.
"But he had adhesive tape stuck to his face, a knife wound to his forehead, and showed signs of strangulation," he added.
Castro said the dead man had wraps of methamphetamine in his pocket and an unkempt appearance, which led investigators to believe the killing was drug related.
"We think the killer was trying to take the body to a more deserted area to dispose of it," he said.
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Biker with dead passenger starts Mexican murder hunt
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