Residents believe the dead woman is Sandra Costerer, said to be about 47 years old, who was from Anns Grove, also on the East Coast.

They said she was living with her reputed husband, Leslie Benjamin, who worked with a family as a caretaker next door to where the body was discovered in the grave.

Costerer did domestic chores for the family.

A member of the family, Murlene Persaud, told the Chronicle that at around 09:00 hrs yesterday, she noticed a strange mound of mud in a vacant yard next to hers and became suspicious.

She said Benjamin later began fetching dirt into the yard and when she asked him where he was bringing the dirt from, he told her he had gotten it from a neighbour.

However, on closer examination of the suspicious spot, she said she saw many pieces of old wood around it and this made her even more suspicious.

Persaud said that as a result she made a report to the Vigilance Police Station at around mid-day. Police went to the site at about 16:00 hrs and the body was discovered in the grave which was about three feet deep.

Witnesses said Police then went to the shack in the yard of the Persauds in which Benjamin and the woman lived and asked him to accompany them to the Police Station.

He asked for time to put on a shirt but when he did not reappear, Police peered into the shack and discovered he was not there.