Gay Man Burned, Beaten in Scotland Murder

Authorities are investigating whether sexual orientation motivated a barbaric attack against Stuart Walker, a gay man whose scorched body was found tied to a roadside lamppost early Saturday morning.

The Daily Telegraph reports on the murder of Walker, 28, a former assistant hotel manager. A member of the public found his charred remains at 5 a.m. in Ayrshire, Scotland.

“Strathclyde Police would not rule out Mr Walker had been murdered because of his sexuality and were now closely examining all aspects of the victim's life,” according to The Telegraph. Police were seeking to reconstruct what happened between the time of the discovery and 2:30 a.m., when Walker, who had been out with friends, was last seen alive.

Initial leads focused on a series of house parties that took place in the Netherthird housing estate near where Walker was found.

Friends set up a Facebook page to pay tribute to Walker.