A severed body part of murdered Russian Natalia Gerasimova was discovered yesterday at Natadola by a Police scuba dive team.

The body part is believed to be severed from below the navel and just above both knees.

The discovery was confirmed by Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro.

“Yes a body part has been recovered but we cannot comment any further,” Ms Naisoro said.

The dive team is believed to have recovered the wrapping which contained the body part at a section of the reef, not far from where it was spotted on Friday night.

It has since been taken to the Nadi Hospital Mortuary for post-mortem and DNA testing.

A villager, while night diving for fish on Friday, came across the wrapping stuck at the bottom of the reef.

Realising what it may contain, the villager was scared to bring it up and informed Police on Saturday.

The dive team began their search on Tuesday and discovered the body part yesterday morning.

The Police dive team has set up camp at Natadola Beach with the hope that more body parts may be discovered.

A reliable source that informed the Fiji Sun this week said because of the strong current in the area, the wrapping became lodged under the reef.

This may have given the dive team new hope that other body part wrappings may be stuck in a similar way under the reef.

Yuri Shipulin and Ms Gerasimova went missing after leaving their farm at Kachiqari, off the road leading to Nausori Highlands in Nadi after midday on June 16 and the only other sightings of them was through a police report that they were seen at Denarau having a few drinks.

Police recovered the couple’s vehicle, registration ‘PILOT’ on the evening of June 17 but the couple were missing.

On June 24, the first pair of feet were found, confirmed by DNA to be that of Mr Shipulin and two days later, the second pair belonging to Ms Gerasimova were found.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

Feedback:  charles.chambers@fijisun.com.fj