A man has confessed to raping and killing an American scientist whose body was found last week in a cave on the island of Crete, the authorities said on Tuesday.

The disappearance of Suzanne Eaton, 59, a prominent developmental biologist who had been in Crete for a conference, set off an international online campaign by friends and family members to find her. Her remains were discovered on July 8, six days after she was last seen alive.

A coroner found that she had died of asphyxiation, and ruled that her death had resulted from a criminal act.

She had also suffered multiple rib and facial fractures as well as upper limb injuries, and had possibly been a victim of sexual abuse, the police said in a statement on Tuesday. They said the suspect had admitted to hitting her with his car, to disable her so that he could rape her.