According to a police report late this evening, they found P. C. Martinez?s badly decomposed body off a feeder road near a cane field on the Consejo Road in the Corozal District.

Now, the department is preparing to lay to rest another police officer, after having to bury two other officers within a one-month period at the end of 2004.

Latest information tonight from police is that a post-mortem conducted on the scene has certified that Morris died from head injuries he suffered. He has been dead for at least eight days, they say.

P. C. Martinez was reportedly found in a face-up position. Both his arms had been tied at his back. He had multiple chop wounds on his forehead. He was clothed in his uniform pants. He had on no shirt, but had on his work belt and boots.

Also found near him was what police say appeared to be a blouse.

Police say that the motive for the killing was robbery.

Three men, Elio Lopez, 33, of Ranchito; Edmund Crawford, 26, of Carolina; and Apolonio Cervera, 49, of Santa Rita, were charged with robbery of P. C. Martinez?s female companion, R.C., on Monday, January 3, in the Corozal Magistrate?s Court. (Ranchito, Carolina and Santa Rita are all Corozal District villages.)

R.C., a resident of Xaibe, Corozal, was the person who was last seen with P. C. Martinez on Wednesday December 22. She had initially told police that ?she and the officer were in an area behind Tony?s Inn, Corozal Town, when they were accosted by three armed men, who robbed them of their jewellery and money.? They had also sexually assaulted her, she alleged.

(For more information on this article, please see our mid-week issue of the Amandala in an article on the front page titled ?P. C. #878 Morris Martinez missing for 12 days; feared dead?)

R.C. had been detained by police last week Wednesday, but was released over the weekend.

P. C. Martinez?s death is one of three murder cases on the hands of the Police Department for the New Year 2005.

Tonight, at about 10:30 p.m., Officer Martinez, will be laid to rest at the Corozal cemetery. His body was identified by his common-law wife, Clarine Budna, said police, after she was able to identify a tattoo on his hand.

It has been calls made to the police?s 922 number that helped in the investigation, said police.