Claudio Worm, a German tourist who was reported missing last month, was found dead along the coast in Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama Prefectural Police said Wednesday.
The 21-year-old’s body was discovered floating face-up and clothed only in jeans off the Takurazaki coast after an individual alerted the Wakayama Coast Guard at around 2:50 p.m. on Nov 1. DNA testing confirmed that it was Worm.
He is presumed to have died sometime in early October, but due to the state of the body’s decay, an autopsy could not be conducted to determine the cause of death, police said.
According to Wakayama police, Worm had entered Japan on Sept. 21 and made his way to Wakayama Prefecture after traveling in Tokyo. He last communicated with his mother on Oct. 10 through a social media platform.
Worm stayed at a private lodging in Wakayama City from Sept. 30 until Oct. 10. A person believed to be Worm was captured on a security camera around Wakayamashi station on the Nankai line at around 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 10.
A passport believed to be Worm’s was found in a toilet near Kinokawa river while his cellphone was found on a bridge nearby. No wallet has been found.
On Oct. 16, a friend of Worm’s father consulted the police, saying Worm had not returned from Japan despite the school term starting soon. On Oct. 21, the police released Worm’s photo and appealed to the public for information.
“We don’t have any strong information indicating foul play, but we are, of course, continuing our investigation, taking into account the possibility of involvement in a crime or an accident,” a Wakayama police officer told The Japan Times.
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