WOMAN BURIED ON MANZANILLA BEACHBY RALPH BANWARIE Sunday, March 17 2013
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Curious spectators gather on the beach at the site where police unearthed the buried body of a 40- year-old woman. ...
The unidentified body of a woman of Indian decent with long, dark hair, and about 40 years of age, was found buried in the sand at Manzanilla beach, east Trinidad yesterday. The body was first discovered by three men who were fishing along the beach.
Police report that at at about 7.30 am, the three men were fishing along the Manzanilla beach near a place called the “Cut-Away” when they were distracted by barking dogs.
The men thought the dogs were barking at them and threw debris at them from on the beach in a bid to drive the animals away but the dogs kept returning to the same spot to continue their frenzied barking.
The fishermen told police when the dogs returned for a third time, they saw them pulling and biting at something on the beach.
The police said the men told them it was only when they went to see what the dogs were pulling at and nibbling on, that they saw that it was a hand sticking out the sand.
One of the fishermen took out his cellphone and called the police.
A party of police officers led by ASPs Neville “Toco Burroughs” Sankar and John Trim, Ag Insp Kenneth Rampersad, Cpls Keith Leon, Ricky Boodsingh, Dindial Joseph and PCs Phillip, Ramdial and Khan responded.
On arrival at the beach, the policemen saw the human hand sticking out of the sand. The rest of the body was buried under the sand.
Police immediately cordoned off the area while investigators searched for clues and homicide officers worked on getting the body out of the sand.
Police believe the dead woman could be in her 40s.
The officers said the body was found slightly tilted on the side with face looking upward and clad in a blue and white long sleeve jersey, blue underwear and blue jeans which was found pulled downwards to her heels.
Police also discovered a gold chain with pendant on her neck and black sandals on her feet.
The officers could not say if there were any marks of violence as the body was swollen and already decomposing and that her face had deteriorated beyond recognition.
The police believed the woman could have been buried in the sand for the last three days.
District Medical Officer, Dr Orlando Prince viewed the body, and ordered its removal to the Sangre Grande District Hospital mortuary.
The body is expected to be taken to Forensic Sciences Centre St James for autopsy tomorrow. Also visiting the scene were Homicide officers from Arouca led by Cpls Jones and Payne and included CSI officers WPCs Maurice, Ramroop, Allong and Marcellin.
Detective Police Constable Saheed Khan is continuing investigation. Members of the public are to contact the investigating officer at Sangre Grande Police Station at 295 -0008 or 668 2444 if they have any information.
