A French backpacker who went missing in Cambodia has been found dead, with police ruling out foul play. Lisa Girard-Fabre, 23, from southwestern France, was discovered in a dried canal near Siem Reap on Monday, according to local authorities.
Lieutenant Colonel Sok Meng Eang of the Siem Reap police told AFP that an autopsy determined the cause of death as cardiac arrest. “There were no injuries on her body or any sign of abuse against her,” he said, adding that her belongings and clothes were in good condition.
Girard-Fabre was last seen at the Ta Som temple around 7.20am local time on 2 August, when she was running alone on a 21km route, her friends reported. Two Cambodian Facebook users claimed to have spotted her later that morning near Srah Srang and on Route 60.
The young woman had arrived in Cambodia in 2024 after hitchhiking from Paris to Phnom Penh over four months, passing through 15 countries. She raised funds for the nonprofit Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (PSE), where she worked as a pedagogical project manager since January 2025.
PSE expressed their grief on Facebook, stating: “Lisa had done a first humanitarian mission with PSE two years ago and left from Paris alone by hitchhiking to Phnom Penh. She was brave, radiant, and had a heart to help others.” Girard-Fabre documented her journey on Instagram, amassing over 19,000 followers.
