Sicilian police 'rule out suicide' in death of Leeds man, 35, found naked near farmhouse

From the Newshound archive · first published 23 September 2026 · last updated 24 September 2026.

Benjamin Braithwaite, a 35-year-old from Leeds, was found dead at around 3am on 13 September near a remote commune between Noto and Canicattini Bagni in Sicily's Syracuse province. An autopsy has led police to rule out suicide, and investigators are now looking into whether his death resulted from a sexual game that turned fatal. Local reports claim a goat's head, psychotropic drugs, and objects linked to possible rituals were found nearby, though authorities had previously said there was no confirmed evidence of esoteric activity.

Braithwaite is believed to have arrived at the off-grid commune days before his death and left a gathering before being found.

La Sicilia reported his body was discovered naked near a farmhouse inhabited by a reclusive community described as 'mostly nomadic people passing through.'

The area's mayor, Paolo Amenta, said the commune's residents are 'graduates who chose to leave everything behind' and had never caused problems.