Greek hearings postponed for suspects in US tourist’s death

ATHENS, Greece – Eight suspects charged with involvement in the beating death of a 22-year-old American tourist on a Greek island were granted brief delays in court appearances Tuesday to allow their lawyers to prepare their cases, while authorities have arrested a ninth man.

The hearings for six Serbs, a British citizen of Serb origin and a Greek were postponed for Wednesday and Thursday. All are being held in custody and have been charged with intentional homicide, which carries a maximum life sentence, in connection with the death early Friday of Bakari Henderson, of Austin, Texas.

The eight will appear before an investigating judge, who will decide whether to keep them in custody pending trial or release them on bail. The judicial process in Greece is notoriously slow, and a trial date might not immediately be set. Suspects can be held in pre-trial detention for a maximum of 18 months.

Police said they also arrested a 33-year-old Serb on Tuesday after judicial authorities issued an arrest warrant for him in connection with the case.

Henderson died of multiple blows following a fight at a bar in the rowdy tourist district of Lagana on the western Greek island of Zakynthos. It is unclear why the fight broke out.