A second autopsy of Robert Maxwell, performed secretly in Israel, showed signs of blows to the body, indicating he may have been the victim of foul play, according to a weekly French news magazine.
The autopsy was performed by a team of Israeli and British forensic surgeons before the media tycoon was buried in Jerusalem in November and showed strong evidence Maxwell’s death was not accidental, Paris Match reported.
The magazine published photographs taken from a videotape of the second autopsy, reportedly performed at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv. The institute had no comment.
The photographs showed bruised and battered features, suggesting he may have been beaten before he mysteriously disappeared from his yacht near the Canary Islands on Nov. 5.
Maxwell’s body was recovered from the sea the day following his disappearance. An autopsy performed by Spanish authorities concluded he may have suffered a heart attack before or after he fell or jumped from his yacht.
The Israeli-British team concluded that the 68-year-old Maxwell suffered a brain hemorrhage before he hit the water, and judging from a broken nose and other severe abrasions, could have been the victim of a severe beating.
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