The remains of Mikus Alps – who was running a campaign to support the war effort against Russian forces in Ukraine – were discovered inside the vehicle in a secluded bay in January last year. It was later discovered he had died from a gunshot wound.
There has since been speculation that the 33-year-old was killed by Russians, but Guernsey Police have so far failed to find any link.
This week the mystery deepened after a coroner concluded that Mr Alps had died from a gunshot wound, but it could not be said for certain if it was self-inflicted.
During the hearing, Procureur Megan Pullum gave a detailed statement which included information on the investigation, during which Guernsey Police liaised with a Home Office pathologist and a team of experts in ballistics and anthropology and a consultant clinical and forensic radiologist.
The remains of Mr Alps were found in a burnt-out car near Petit Bot on 10 January 2018.
Two days earlier, he had called two friends, at 2.46am and just before 3.30am, and both had said they thought they heard another person present, possibly with a foreign-sounding voice. Police could not substantiate this.
After the burnt-out car was discovered just before 7.30am on 8 January, police and firefighters attended. Given that anything in and around the vehicle that could catch fire had done so and there was no risk of it re-igniting, it was decided to leave it.
Two days later, after Mr Alps was reported missing, scenes of crime officers visited the car and noticed the remains of a body in the driver’s seat.
DNA evidence later identified this as Mr Alps.
The remains of a shotgun, registered to Mr Alps, were also found and there was evidence that one shot had been fired.
Toxicology tests found traces of the class A drug MDMA in Mr Alps’ remains, as well as the class B drugs amphetamine and Butylone.
In his report, the Home Office pathologist commented that generally the scenario of a fire-damaged body in a burnt-out vehicle with evidence of shotgun discharge was suggestive of the involvement of others.
Subsequent expert analysis of the remains and the position of the shotgun concluded that there were two ways in which the fatal wound could have been inflicted, only one of which could have been by Mr Alps himself.
‘Given the condition of the body, the experts agree it is not possible to favour either scenario,’ said Ms Pullum.
The pathologist concluded that cause of death was a shotgun wound to the head, although the chance of contribution from other injuries and/or the effects of fire and/or the effects of drugs could not be excluded.
Despite previously being depressed and expressing potentially suicidal thoughts, and a sombre and reflective letter given to a friend on 7 January, the pathologist said there was no evidence to suggest that Mr Alps intended to take his own life.
