Alleged online troll found dead

LONDON (AP) — A woman who was accused of sending Internet abuse to the parents of missing girl Madeleine McCann has been found dead in a hotel room. Her death has revived debate about media responsibility and how best to respond to online "trolls."

Television channel Sky News identified 63-year-old Brenda Leyland as a Twitter user who had attacked Kate and Gerry McCann under the name "sweepyface."

Last week, a Sky News reporter confronted Leyland — who lived in the same county as the McCanns — on camera about the alleged abuse. She replied that she was entitled to send the tweets.

Police confirmed that Leyland's body was found in a hotel room near Leicester in central England on Saturday.

"Ms. Leyland's death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the coroner," police said. "Officers acting on behalf of the coroner will look into the circumstances surrounding and prior to her unexpected death."

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