American man, 55, found strangled in the Dominican Republic

(Van Teasley via Twitter)

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) – A 55-year-old American was found strangled in his apartment in the Dominican Republic's capital, authorities said Saturday.

Police identified the victim as Van Teasley and said his body was discovered early Friday. He had been bound and gagged.

Officials said police were alerted by a friend of the victim, Jeffrey Gordon Stroud, who was concerned that Teasley was not answering his door bell or responding to phone calls. The door to the victim's apartment was unlocked when police arrived to investigate, authorities said.

Another friend, Dana Fonville, said in a telephone interview from the United States that Teasley was a criminal defense attorney practicing in the U.S. capital. He said Teasley had bought the apartment in Santo Domingo to use for brief vacations and visited 10 to 12 times a year.

"I'm very angry. He was a generous individual and was very well liked. He had a very alive personality and was very upbeat," Fonville said.

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He said Teasley arrived in the Dominican Republic on Thursday and was scheduled to return to the U.S. on Tuesday.