An inquest has ruled the death of an aspiring stock market trader whose body was found in the undergrowth near Feltham railway station as suicide.
American Josh Sanchez-Maldonado, 24, killed himself by walking along the top of a speeding train until it slammed him into a bridge, West London Coroners Court heard on Monday (April 11).
The MBA student who had made his first overseas trip alone to the UK for a job interview on October 21, jumped on to the carriages from a walkway at the station and was captured on CCTV walking toward the rear of the train before being smashed into the footbridge further down the track.
Police launched a missing persons appeal and a plea from the family was made following his disappearance on October 22 last year, after he failed to board a flight back to the US via Dublin.
He was last seen leaving St Giles Hotel in Feltham on the afternoon of October 22.
The incident happened just five days after a 17-year-old died after he was hit by a train in Feltham.
The inquest of young Fabio De-Campos of Southern Avenue last month saw the chief coroner record a conclusion of death by suicide.
Body found in undergrowth a week later
The court heard how his body was flung into the undergrowth and discovered a week later on October 29 2015, by a caretaker at nearby Edward Pauling primary school.
His parents Jose Sanchez and Lissette Maldonado, who live in California, flew over to the UK to try and find their son who dreamed of being a UK stock market trader.
His father issued an emotion plea when he went missing for help finding his son
Mr Sanchez said: “He worked hard at school, he woke up very early every day actually because he was interested in the UK stock market, which by time zone in Puerto Rico he woke up by 4am everyday.
‘He was also studying his MBA online because he wanted to continue to develop his intelligence in the market, just realising himself as a professional in life.”
Josh had been receiving counselling in the US after taking an overdose following the end of a six-month relationship in 2015, the court heard.
Detective Sergeant Gerry Griffin of British Transport Police told the court that he was spotted on the footbridge at Feltham Railway station when the train passed through.
“He can be seen lifting himself off on to the top of the train,” said Mr Griffin.
“At 12.49pm CCTV from a private residence shows a male standing on top of the train carriage walking towards the rear of the train.
“He has come into contact with the bridge and the force has knocked him off the train and then he landed on the railway embankment.
“The train would have been going at 60-70mph and then when he was thrown off that would have caused major injuries to Josh when he came off the top of the train.
“Because there is a lot of bushes and undergrowth Josh’s body wasn’t discovered for a week.”
Suicide notes found in hotel room
A postmortem found he had suffered fatal injuries to his head and chest and tests revealed small traces of alcohol and paracetamol in his blood.
Police found two undated ‘suicide-like’ notes in Sanchez-Maldonado’s hotel room.
Senior Coroner Chinyere Inyama recorded a verdict of suicide, and said: “Until he left the country to go travelling, Josh was receiving treatment from a psychiatrist regarding the loss of a relationship, so there had been a time shortly before his death that he was feeling so down he actually mentioned suicidal ideas.
“He quite clearly of his own volition went onto that footbridge and jumped onto the train.
“Jumping onto a speeding train is almost certainly going to end up in some very serious harm.
“There can’t be any other explanation that Josh intended to do serious harm to himself.”
