THE decomposing body of a woman which was found near a garden in Macoya last Friday was yesterday positively identified as that of 63-year-old Parbatee Thomas.

Thomas, of Third Street West, Montague Avenue, Trincity, was reported missing by her relatives on January 25, after she left her home to visit the nearby Trincity Mall.

Two men, one of them an employee at the woman's residence, was arrested by police hours after the body was found on Friday. They remain in custody assisting with investigations. The suspects were held in downtown Port of Spain.

Officers said one of the suspects had withdrawn close to $30,000 from Thomas's bank account before and after she went missing.

Thomas was found murdered with a plastic bag over her head and a curtain rod wrapped around her neck.

Officers are working on the theory that one of the suspects may have stolen Thomas's bank card while he had access to her home.

A post mortem conducted on her body yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre, in St James revealed she died from asphyxia.

Police have classified her death as murder.

ASP Kenrick Edwards, Insp Seemungal Rampersad, Sgts Wazir Ali, Basdeo Sinanan and Cpl Sherwin Roopchan of the Region II Homicide Bureau of Investigations and the Tunapuna CID are probing the incident.