Missing British professor, 61, ‘had argued with PHD student’ before vanishing in Chile
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A British professor who has been missing in Chile for almost two weeks is said to have had an argument with his 23-year-old PhD student before he disappeared.
Thomas Richard Marsh, a 61-year-old astrophysicist at the University of Warwick, was last seen on Sept. 16 near the remote La Silla astronomical observatory on the edge of the Atacama Desert where he worked.
Marsh traveled with an unnamed student to observe the night sky from the observatory’s powerful telescopes as part of a work trip.
The 23-year-old student was described locally this weekend as a “key piece” of an ongoing investigation into the astronomer’s whereabouts, as soldiers and police scour the desert in search of Marsh.
Police confirmed around the same time that the 23-year-old was being questioned by police seeking answers as to the whereabouts of 61-year-old Mr Marsh.
There is no suggestion at this stage that the student, who traveled with the missing professor from the UK via France and Argentina to Chile, played a role in his disappearance.
Regional prosecutor Adrian Vega, who has insisted investigators are open to Mr Marsh’s disappearance, insisted he was free to return to the UK overnight.
Thomas Richard Marsh, a 61-year-old astrophysicist at the University of Warwick, was last seen on Sept. 16 near the remote La Silla astronomical observatory on the edge of the Atacama Desert where he worked.
He told the Chilean daily El Dia: ‘There is no way we can hinder a person’s free travel or prevent him from leaving the country if that person is not charged with anything. The student is not accused of anything.’
The same newspaper, citing unidentified sources, claimed there had been an argument between Mr Marsh and his apprentice, saying: ‘This is something the authorities are also working on.
“That aspect is something that is included in the lines of investigation that prosecutors conduct.”
It did not offer more details in an overnight report on when or why the alleged altercation took place.
Mr Vega, indicating that he must search the ground and air for Mr Marsh because he was lost or injured while walking in the mountainous terrain near the observatory, added: “We hope in the coming days to advance through the area. until we have to rule out the idea that Mr. Marsh has gone out for a walk.”
He also told the local press: “There is no evidence to suggest that he is not alive.
“We continue to search with all the resources at our disposal for a person who is alive and lost so that we can give his family peace of mind. We are in permanent contact with them.’
Drones and sniffer dogs are used in the hunt for Mr. Marsh around the observatory.
Observatory personnel and visitors were also questioned as part of a parallel but separate investigation by Chile’s PDI police.
La Silla Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Chile with three telescopes built and operated by the European Southern Observatory
Mr Marsh’s clothing and other belongings were found in his room after he was reported missing on September 16.
His PhD student sounded the alarm after he failed to show up to begin observations at the observatory, as agreed after a night’s rest two days after their arrival in Chile on Sept. 14.
Over the weekend, it emerged that Mr Marsh’s room keys had been found between his accommodation and the telescope, although police have not released any further details as to their exact location.
Colleague Odette Toloza, currently working in Germany, described Mr Marsh in an interview after his disappearance as ‘the best in his field’.
She told a Chilean TV channel how she found out about the disappearance: ‘Tom has been to La Silla several times as part of his job and knows the area very well.
This time he would make four nights of astronomical observations and stay until Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.
‘The importance to him of La Silla is the speed of the instrument there and how fast they can create images.
“Every time he goes, he takes the opportunity to take his students with him and this time he went with a freshman postgraduate student.
‘There is always a routine and a protocol and when you arrive at the observatory you always know when to calibrate instruments.
‘The student sent an email asking relevant people if they had seen Tom because they had to meet to start observing and he hadn’t shown up.
“Then we realized that something must have happened. The last time the student had seen Tom was the night before when they went to bed.
“They were supposed to meet for dinner the next day and Tom didn’t show up.”
Mr Marsh was last seen at the La Silla Observatory in Chile around 6 a.m. last Friday and all of his clothing and other personal effects, including his passport, are believed to have been left untouched in a nearby rented room.
She added: “I’m not quite clear on all the details, but I know from the student that he asked about him at the observatory and no one could help.
‘He initially thought he might be resting as they had a long journey from England and wasn’t worried about the fact that he hadn’t come for lunch.
“But what he did make clear is that they were supposed to meet later to conduct observations together, and he sent the email when Tom didn’t show up.
‘I met this student two weeks ago during a visit to the University of Warwick.
“As colleagues, we have decided not to put any pressure on him. He’s a PhD student, a youngster. You can’t imagine being in a situation like this, having to report someone missing and make a statement, especially about someone who is your mentor.
“The first thing that comes to mind when me and colleagues speculate about what might have happened is taking a walk.
‘The observatory has very nice walking areas around it and is a great place to watch the sunrise and the sun set.
“Our first conclusions were that he went for a walk and never came back, but it’s madness to think that someone can just disappear and nobody knows anything.”
Mr Marsh’s family, including his artist daughter Tabatha, have made an appeal online for missing persons.
They said in an initial statement after he went missing: “We are very concerned about and miss Tom, and we would like to ask anyone with information about his whereabouts to help.”
La Silla Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Chile with three telescopes built and operated by the European Southern Observatory, an intergovernmental research organization composed of 16 member states for ground-based astronomy.
The observatory is one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. It is located about 95 miles northeast of the city of Serena on the edge of the Atacama Desert, one of the driest and most remote places in the world.