The shallow grave where the grim discovery of the bodies of two Montego Bay teens was made by the St James police on Friday. (Photo: Sureshot Photo)

WESTERN BUREAU -- The partially decomposed bodies of two teenagers were unearthed from a shallow grave in the inner city community of Canterbury, St James yesterday.

The police, armed with shovels, slowly uncovered the bodies of Franklin "Junior" Clarke, 18, of Salt Spring in St James and Ricardo "Dane" Reid, 17, of Blood Lane yesterday morning.

Constable Camille Tracey, police information officer for the parish, reported that on-the-spot post mortems had revealed that Reid, who had multiple stab wounds to the body, had died from a gunshot wound to the head. Clarke, she said, died from what appeared to be a chop to the head.

The teens had not been seen for almost a week; but it was not clear, up to press time, whether they had been reported missing.

Relatives managed to identify the badly decomposed bodies that were found beneath layers of concrete and dirt inside a four-foot grave that its creators appeared to have had time to prepare meticulously.

According to Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) officer for St James, Constable Peter Salkey, the bodies -- which were discovered at about 11:00 am Friday -- were placed in the grave and a thin layer of dirt placed over them. Over that layer of dirt, he said, a layer of concrete was then poured. Then another layer of dirt was poured and over that, another layer of concrete and, finally, another layer of dirt.

The police reportedly went to the community yesterday morning after receiving vital information. After a search of the area, they spotted what appeared to be fresh dirt, cops said. Armed with pick axes, the police dug up the area and discovered the bodies, which were so decomposed that the teens' faces were unrecognisable.

Relatives used what was left of their clothing and the few personal items -- like a cell phone -- that were found on them to identify their bodies, Salkey said.

Reid, who was unemployed, was discovered dressed only in a pair of gray short pants. His shirt and shoes were missing. The other youth, a mechanic by trade, was also discovered without his shoes. He was dressed in a pair of what appeared to be khaki pants, a green shirt and an under-shirt.

There is no clear indication whether the two teens knew each other. Neither is it clear what led to the brutal murders that pushed the parish's murder toll to 57 since the start of the year.

The Montego Bay Criminal Investigation Branch is investigating.

Executive Class

Gardens with Gravel

Death to the Mullet!