Family's Fight for Truth After Benidorm Holiday Tragedy
The family of a Welsh father-of-four who died during a holiday in Benidorm say they have uncovered new evidence that strongly suggests foul play was involved, contradicting the Spanish police's initial ruling of a "tragic accident".
Nathan Osman, a 30-year-old from Pontypridd in South Wales, was on a long weekend break with friends in the Spanish resort in September 2024. Tragically, less than 24 hours after he arrived, his body was discovered by an off-duty police officer at the bottom of a remote 650ft (200m) cliff on the outskirts of Benidorm.
A post-mortem examination concluded he died from head and abdominal injuries sustained from a fall from height. While local authorities closed the case, his family have persistently argued that the investigation was inadequate and that the possibility of homicide was never properly considered.
New Phone Data Challenges Official Narrative
The family's suspicions were first raised by the remote location of Nathan's death, which was in the opposite direction of his hotel and a significant distance away on foot. They began their own investigation, creating a timeline from CCTV, witness statements, and bank records which showed attempts to use his cards after he died.
After presenting this evidence, Spanish prosecutors reopened the case earlier this year. Now, the family has told Sky News' The UK Tonight that new data from Nathan's phone, retrieved a couple of months ago, provides a crucial breakthrough.
By tracking his last movements through a health app, they found a detailed breakdown of his pace and distance every ten minutes. "His pace wasn't consistent with a fast walk or even a sprint," said Nathan's brother, Lee Evans. The data indicates a faster journey uphill for 40 minutes, convincing the family he was in a vehicle.
This new information has helped them pinpoint that Nathan died approximately half an hour after he was last seen on CCTV walking towards his hotel in the early hours of the morning.
A Scene That 'Didn't Make Sense'
Driven to understand what happened, Nathan's family visited the isolated spot where he was found. His mother, Elizabeth, described the area as being "out in the wild" with no clubs, hotels, or reason for her son to be there.
"We could see… there's no way he would have looked at that area and thought, 'I'm going up here,'" she said, adding that it was "really ridiculous" to think he would have walked there at 4am in pitch darkness.
The family's determination has also exposed what they describe as severe shortcomings in the initial investigation. Lee stated that South Wales Police, who opened their own inquiry after the family's media appearance in May, were "appalled" by the lack of evidence from Spanish counterparts.
Nathan's father, Jonathan, cited multiple failures: "No procedures were followed. Nothing was cordoned off, it wasn't a crime scene… Tyre tracks, foot tracks, nothing. No DNA taken."
Lee lamented the lost time, saying, "All that we've done over the last year, this could've been squashed within the first week, two weeks."
The Ongoing Search for Answers
Despite the challenges, the family remains hopeful. They have identified 27 CCTV cameras in the area that could have captured Nathan's movements, after local investigators claimed to find none. The family alleges that Spanish police dismissed these leads, suggesting the cameras were not working or that footage was erased.
However, the family, who previously located the last known CCTV footage of Nathan themselves, believes this network of cameras could still hold the key to identifying a vehicle.
While they fear that the lost time may mean they never find who was responsible, their resolve is unwavering. "Nathan walks with us every day," Elizabeth said. "All we want is to find the ones responsible for his death and for him to have the respect of a decent investigation."
Sky News contacted Spanish police, who declined to comment as the case is under judicial review. South Wales Police confirmed they are "carrying out enquiries on behalf of HM Coroner" and have appointed a family liaison officer.
