HANOVER, Jamaica — The search for a “church man” who went missing Sunday afternoon ended in grief for his friends and family after his headless body was discovered in bushes in the New Town section of Sandy Bay yesterday morning.

The identity of the dead man was withheld by the police, but a man who said he was a friend and gave OBSERVER ONLINE his name claims he is a pastor from St Catherine who resided in St James.

OBSERVER ONLINE was told that the body was found in bushes near to a plot of land he was clearing to start construction of a house.

Read: Man’s headless body found in Hanover

A community member who asked not to be identified said about 1:30 on Sunday afternoon, the man left his cellphone to be charged at a house in the community then headed for his plot of land.

When he did not return at nightfall four community members went in search of him but did not see him when they arrived at the site. Only his bag and machete were found.

The residents abandoned the search and informed the police that the man was missing.

Yesterday morning two of the community members resumed their search when the body of the church man, with the head removed, was discovered in nearby bushes.

The grisly find was subsequently reported to the police.

Up to late yesterday evening, the Hanover police were searching for the missing head. The police have, meanwhile, dismissed a claim that the man is a pastor.

Details surrounding his death were unknown; however, the police are theorising that the body may have been dumped at the location after he was killed elsewhere. It is understood that no blood trail was found at the location.

Late yesterday afternoon one member of the community said she had not eaten since the man went missing on Sunday afternoon.

Another community member described the man as a jovial individual. “He was a nice man who was always giving jokes,” the resident said.

Horace Hines & Anthony Lewis