Officials: Scottish rape suspect’s death might be hoax

MONTEREY, Calif. — Northern California authorities say a Scottish man facing rape charges at home may have faked his death last week off the Carmel coast.

The Los Angeles Times reported Monday that divers and helicopters searched for three days after Kim Gordon’s 17-year-old son called 911 to report that his father vanished on Feb. 25 after going for a nighttime swim in treacherous waters in Monterey.

Monterey County Sheriff’s Capt. John Thornburg says searchers found no trace of Gordon at Monastery Beach, sometimes dubbed “Mortuary Beach” for its deadly reputation. Thornburg says detectives began to suspect a hoax because the son’s account lacked crucial details, including where exactly Gordon was swimming. Furthermore, the son could not adequately explain how he and his father traveled to California’s central coast after traveling by air from Scotland to Los Angeles.

Thornburgh says detectives discovered late last week that Gordon, who’s from the Edinburgh area, is wanted on 24 counts of rape in Scotland. His son has since returned home and has not been charged with any crimes.

The U.S. Marshals Service is helping search for Gordon.