Rusty Barnes is raising funds to hire a private investigator and lawyer to look into the circumstances behind Toby Sheets’s death in Mathraki in June
The brother of a well-known racing figure who went missing on a remote Greek Island has claimed his death was “highly suspicious”.
Toby Sheets was an accomplished horseman who had worked in the sport for more than 30 years including as an assistant trainer to record-breaking US trainer Steve Asmussen, handling some of his best horses.
The 55-year-old was staying on the island of Mathraki, west of Corfu, when he was reported missing in June. His body was found on a beach three days after he had been reported missing. A coroner later gave the cause of death as drowning.
However his brother Rusty Barnes and a group of close friends have launched a fundraiser to get more answers to what happened to Sheets.
Barnes alleged: “There are odd and unexplainable circumstances surrounding Toby’s last days in Greece and information indicating the possibility of something sinister befalling Toby.”
Barnes said that while they were working on what he claims is a “highly suspicious death” they allegedly “discovered reliable facts that are in direct conflict with the authority’s depiction of the events”.
He went on: “We have been in contact with several people who were with him in the days leading up to when he went missing and they described him as the happy Toby we all knew and loved, and stated how well he was doing.”
Barnes then listed a number of ‘facts’ that they would be seeking answers to if they can raise enough money for a private investigator and lawyer to help them. This includes highlighting the what he believes is a large number of foreign tourists on Greek islands who have either died or gone missing this summer. One of the those was British TV presenter and author, Dr Michael Mosley, who was found dead on the island of Symi.
Barnes said: “Toby was staying and working at a BnB on the Island of Mathraki, near Corfu and was last seen alive Tuesday June 11th He was reported missing to the police Thursday June 13th when the owner of the BnB went to Toby’s house and found the door open, the lights on, the air conditioning unit still running and Toby’s clothing scattered.
“His body was found Sunday June 16th on Kontrakas Beach on Mathraki, after the beach had previously been searched twice by the authorities. Some items of his were on the beach near his body.
“He was missing for 5 days and no one in the US, friends or family, were ever notified that he was even missing. We were only notified when his body was found Sunday June 16th at 1:30 pm by an individual resident of Mathraki.
“Personal phone calls with several individuals on the island have resulted in conflicting and vastly different accounts of events leading up to Toby’s death.”
He added: “The only way we can get the answers we need is with the assistance of a trusted private investigator and/or lawyer to help us to find the truth. Your donations will be used for that and anything left will go to charities of Toby’s choice.”
Barnes said the funds would be used “in our endeavor to put Toby to rest with the accurate facts of his death, not the perceived rumors or stonewalling that is now taking place.”
