Brit, 35, Found Dead Near Remote Italian Commune After Attending Mysterious Pagan Gathering

A mysterious death in the Italian countryside has left investigators searching for answers after a 35-year-old British man was found dead near a remote commune in Sicily.

Benjamin Braithwaite, from Leeds, was discovered on September 13 in the Piano Milo area of eastern Sicily. His body was reportedly found unclothed near a rope, while investigators also discovered a severed goat’s head nearby.

The unusual circumstances surrounding his death immediately raised questions. Forensic investigators reportedly found injuries around Braithwaite’s neck, leading authorities to consider whether he may have been strangled. One possibility being examined is that his death could have occurred during an erotic encounter, although investigators have not reached a definitive conclusion.

Braithwaite had reportedly traveled to the isolated area several days before his death to attend a gathering connected to the Radical Faeries, a New Age group whose members embrace alternative lifestyles, spirituality and communal living.

A former member of the group later made disturbing claims about activities allegedly taking place within the community, including drug use and dangerous sexual practices. The former member also suggested that newcomers could potentially be vulnerable to manipulation or coercion.

However, these allegations remain claims from a former member and have not been established as facts by investigators.

Italian authorities are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding Braithwaite’s final days. A post-mortem examination reportedly failed to immediately establish an exact cause of death, while toxicology testing is expected to determine whether drugs or other substances played a role.

Investigators also reportedly found a substance at the scene and an unusual image depicting a half-man, half-goat figure painted on a stone slab. Despite the eerie details, authorities have stressed that there is currently no evidence directly connecting Braithwaite’s death to an occult or ritual killing.

The group itself has rejected suggestions that its activities involve coercion. Its published guidelines reportedly emphasize consent and state that certain workshops are conducted without alcohol or drugs.

As investigators await further forensic and toxicology results, the circumstances surrounding Benjamin Braithwaite’s final hours remain unresolved — leaving authorities to determine whether his death was a tragic

Read the original report on The Sun