Greek farmer on trial for rape, killing of US scientist

A Greek farmer claimed he was "possessed by demons" when he raped and killed an American scientist last year, a police officer told a murder trial in Crete on Tuesday.

The body of Suzanne Eaton, a molecular biologist at the Max Planck Institute at Dresden University, was found near the city of Chania on the Greek island in July 2019.

Yiannis Paraskakis, a married father of two, is on trial for manslaughter, rape and illegal weapons possession.

A police officer who interrogated Paraskakis told the court he confessed after six hours of questioning.

"He said he was possessed by demons giving him orders," he said.

The scientist's sister, Julie Eaton Broaddus, was present at the start of the trial, telling reporters: "It was really, really difficult to come here. But I felt that I needed to be here, to speak up for what an amazing and accomplished woman she was."

Eaton Broaddus, who later left court because she did not want to be in the same room as the suspect, described her sister as a "loving, doting mother" and said her death was "a horrible, tragic thing".

Eaton, 59, had gone out hiking without her mobile phone on the day of her murder, police said.

The suspect ran over the scientist on a rural road, put her in the trunk of the car and drove to an abandoned World War II bunker where he sexually assaulted her and dumped her body, according to police.

She was found by cave explorers six days later.

"This was a world-class biologist," said prosecution lawyer Vasso Pantazi of the Oakland-born scientist.

"In terms of virus contagiousness and vaccines, you can understand how useful she would have been today."

The 28-year-old suspect, a priest's son, denies Eaton's rape and claims he ran her over accidentally.

He had been held in prison at the town of Tripoli on the Greek mainland, but was transferred to the Cretan town of Rethymno for the trial.

Eaton was married to British scientist Anthony Hyman. The couple has two sons.

Her sister said Hyman was devastated and had developed post-traumatic stress disorder.