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Brother of racing figure found on Greek Island claims death ‘highly suspicious’

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Brother of racing figure found on Greek Island claims death ‘highly suspicious’

Rusty Barnes is raising funds to hire a private investigator and lawyer to look into the circumstances behind Toby Sheets’s death in Mathraki in June

Toby Sheets, who was found dead on a remote Greek Island in June(Courtesy of Adam Coglianese/NYRA Photo)

The brother of a well-known racing figure who went missing on a remote Greek Island has claimed his death was “highly suspicious”.

Toby Sheets was an accomplished horseman who had worked in the sport for more than 30 years including as an assistant trainer to record-breaking US trainer Steve Asmussen, handling some of his best horses.




The 55-year-old was staying on the island of Mathraki, west of Corfu, when he was reported missing in June. His body was found on a beach three days after he had been reported missing. A coroner later gave the cause of death as drowning.

However his brother Rusty Barnes and a group of close friends have launched a fundraiser to get more answers to what happened to Sheets.

Barnes alleged: “There are odd and unexplainable circumstances surrounding Toby’s last days in Greece and information indicating the possibility of something sinister befalling Toby.”

Barnes said that while they were working on what he claims is a “highly suspicious death” they allegedly “discovered reliable facts that are in direct conflict with the authority’s depiction of the events”.

He went on: “We have been in contact with several people who were with him in the days leading up to when he went missing and they described him as the happy Toby we all knew and loved, and stated how well he was doing.”

Toby Sheets (right) alongside the 2010 Jockey Gold Cup winner Haynesfield(Courtesy of Adam Coglianese/NYRA Photo)

Barnes then listed a number of ‘facts’ that they would be seeking answers to if they can raise enough money for a private investigator and lawyer to help them. This includes highlighting the what he believes is a large number of foreign tourists on Greek islands who have either died or gone missing this summer. One of the those was British TV presenter and author, Dr Michael Mosley, who was found dead on the island of Symi.

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