By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

COMMISSIONER of Police Shanta Knowles confirmed yesterday that a man will be charged with the murder of 30-year-old Lauren Saunders today in the Magistrates Court.

Saunders' decomposed body was discovered last Wednesday off Munnings Drive, four days after she was reported missing.

Commissioner Knowles said relatives of Ms Saunders reported her missing shortly after 11.30pm on Sunday, October 19. 

The silver Jeep she was driving was later found abandoned off Coral Harbour Road with a flat tyre. Her handbag, shoes, and other personal items were discovered inside the vehicle, according to police and relatives.

Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), along with those attached to the Nassau Street and Western Police Stations, began investigations the following morning.

An adult male, described as being in his 30s and known to the victim, was taken into custody during the early stages of the investigation. 

Commissioner Knowles said that as officers worked with the man, information led them to Munnings Drive, where Ms Saunders’ body was found on Wednesday.

Police said the body, found in a bushy area off Munnings Road near Gladstone Road, matched the description of the missing woman. 

The discovery came following a coordinated search involving CID, drone units, and K-9 officers that had been launched earlier in the week.

The forensic examination revealed advanced decomposition, which prevented the pathologists from issuing a definitive cause of death, the police said.

“The pathologists have completed their work,” Commissioner Knowles said, when asked how she died. “They were not able to give us a definitive answer, but because of the evidence that we have collected, we are confident that we have sufficient to proceed with a charge of murder.”

She said the family was briefed on the case before yesterday’s press conference, adding that police officers involved “worked tirelessly, even in the dark of the night” to locate Ms Saunders.

“I want to say thank you to members of the public who assisted the family and police in searching for Lauren,” she said.

“Unfortunately, the results were not what we wanted, but I am pleased with the efforts put forth by my officers, and I offer my sincerest condolences to the family.”

The discovery of Saunders’ body sparked national outrage and expressions of grief across social media.

Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis issued a statement saying, “Violence against women has no place in our society and must be met with the full weight of the law.”

The Tribune understands Ms Saunders was seven months pregnant at the time of her death and was the mother of two children. 

She was last seen alive near her home before relatives raised the alarm after calls to her phone went unanswered.