Jackie Bain, the mother of 32-year-old professional poker player Darren Young from Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, fears her son was killed and robbed in the Philippines. Darren was found dead earlier this year in his rental condo in Manila. His death has raised many questions and concerns, especially since several of his possessions, including money and casino chips, were missing.
In an interview with the Scottish Sun, Bain shared that Darren’s bank card, wallet, watch, cash, and poker chips were all missing when his body was discovered. She explained, “That’s where they found him on the bed. There were no signs of struggle but he had nothing with him. Darren had a pile of poker chips – they were gone.”
Bain believes her son’s poker skills may have attracted unwanted attention. Darren had been traveling around Asia before settling in Manila, where he rented a luxury condo and played poker regularly.
Suspicious Circumstances Surrounding His Death
Hours before his death, Darren sent messages to friends and family expressing his suspicion that his drink had been spiked by a local woman and an American gambler. When relatives didn’t hear from him, they reported it to the police, who later found him dead in his condo.
According to the postmortem certificate, Darren died from bilateral pneumonia. However, his mother disputes this, noting that he never complained of illness. Medical experts in Scotland have also rejected pneumonia as the cause of death, but further testing may be complicated because his body was embalmed before being returned home.
The Foreign Office is investigating the case in collaboration with Manila law enforcement. However, the investigation faces challenges. It remains unclear if there was any active CCTV in the building where Darren lived, and there is no information about suspects related to the case. The identity of the couple Darren suspected of spiking his drink also remains a mystery.
Darren’s mysterious death and the missing belongings have left his family seeking answers and justice. The investigation continues, but many questions remain unanswered.
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