The fathers of suspected murdered cousins Dale and Jerome Ramsahai were yesterday asked to hand over their DNA samples to confirm the dead men's identities.

Relatives of the two missing cousins from South Trinidad were yesterday hoping for the best but fearing the worst following the discovery of the burnt-beyond-recognition bodies of two men in the Heights of Guanapo, Arima.

The murder toll stood at 81 last night for 2013. At March 3, 2012, the murder toll was 64.

The bodies are believed to be those of Jerome Ramsahai, 27, business banking manager at Scotiabank Ltd and the brother of Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) vice chairman, Liana Ramsahai. The other presumed victim, Dale Ramsahai, 28, is employed at the Trinidad and Tobago Coalition of Service Industries (TTCSI). Both men lived at Seuradge Trace, Debe.

Police said that around 12.15 a.m. yesterday, the Arima Fire Station received an anonymous telephone call about a Nissan Tiida car on fire at the Heights of Guanapo, Arima, along the 3/4 mile mark.

On investigation, the burnt bodies wrapped in barbed wire were found in the trunk of the car.

Police said prior to setting fire to the car the perpetrators also placed two tyres in the trunk of the car on top of both bodies. This, along with the car's spare tyre, resulted in an intense fire, police said.

A team of officers from the Arima CID as well as the Northern Division Task Force rushed over to the scene where the car, now completely burnt, was examined.

Officers from the Homicide Bureau were also called in and after the scene had been examined the bodies were moved to the Port of Spain Mortuary.

The car was taken to a police examination facility at Cumuto where the Special Anti Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (SAUTT) was once housed.

Later yesterday around noon the bodies were taken to the Forensic Science Centre in St James and members of the Ramsahai family were called in.

Several relatives and friends of the family who were at the Forensic Centre yesterday requested privacy.

Relatives said they did not want to make any statements since up to 3 p.m. yesterday they were unable to confirm if the bodies were that of the two men.

They remained in the waiting room area of the Centre from around noon to 3 p.m. and along with friends they spoke among themselves. They also insisted that a visibly distraught Liana Ramsahai not be approached by reporters.

She was seen crying in the Centre's lobby and was still sobbing when she left.

The Express was told by the police that so badly burned were both bodies that close relatives of the men were unable to identify who they were.

The Express understands however that in their last conversation with the cousins, friends and family were told they were in St James.