Body of missing Canadian Dave Walker found in Cambodia

Dave Walker (Photo: animistfarmfilms.com)

The family of Dave Walker, a Canadian filmmaker who went missing in Cambodia in February, says he was found dead today.

A statement issued on behalf of Walker’s family says his body was reportedly discovered by a child at the Angkor Wat temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Cambodian law enforcement officials told the family it appeared Walker had died several weeks ago.

The statement says a doctor at the site was unable to determine a cause of death and an autopsy will be held to try to determine how and when Walker died.

Forensic officer Pheng Pich says authorities are waiting on DNA tests before an official confirmation of the body’s identity can be made, but he says there are no initial signs of foul play.

Tith Narong, a senior officer with the Siem Reap provincial police, says friends and acquaintances identified Walker on the basis of his clothing.

Walker, who was 58, had been living in Cambodia for the past year and a half. He was staying at a guesthouse on Feb. 14, when he stepped out while a housekeeper tended to his room and was not seen again.

The disappearance baffled family and friends, who said Walker spoke the language, knew the streets and was familiar with the local culture. His phone, laptop computer, passport and other belongings were left behind at the guesthouse.

Walker and a partner had set up a film company in Siem Reap in July 2012 called Animist Farm Films. They had recently been working on a documentary about the Khmer Rouge regime, which left close to two million people dead.

Walker grew up in Edmonton but last lived in Toronto, where he studied for a Masters degree at York University in 2009. His family said he has lived and worked in Southeast Asia on and off for years.

He also co-authored a non-fiction book, called ”Hello My Big Big Honey,” which chronicles the experiences of Bangkok bar girls and their Western admirers.

– With files from the Associated Press