Spain murder probe as woman found buried on popular beach by horrified couple

Spain murder probe as woman found buried on popular beach by horrified couple The grim discovery was made at the popular Atlantic beach of Sancti Petri, near Cadiz in southern Spain, as a running race was taking place in the area The body of a woman has been found half-buried by a horrified couple walking their dog on a popular beach in Spain - and murder cops are investigating. The pair made the grim discovery at the Atlantic beach of Sancti Petri, located a short distance from the southern city of Cadiz. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition as it is believed it had laid undiscovered for several days. A source said the body was "most probably buried under the sand before being exposed over time". Police were called to the scene but officers from the Civil Guard confirmed today they were still trying to identify the victim. She is believed to be a woman aged around 50, but her gender could only be determined during a post-mortem examination. The body was discovered on Sunday at around 11am. The post-mortem examination also showed the victim had suffered several blows to the head. One local report claimed the incident was being treated as a possible case of gender violence inflicted on the woman by her partner or ex. The spot where the body was found is at the entrance to an official dog beach near the Sancti Petri breakwater, in an area known as Lavaculos. An amateur seven-mile running race which around 500 people participated in was taking place at the time. Well-placed sources said today the autopsy had established the woman's body had been where it was found for six to 10 days due to the state of decomposition. A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Cadiz said this morning: "This is being investigated as a homicide. "The woman has not yet been identified so further tests are now taking place following the autopsy. We believe the body had laid undiscovered for several days before it was found."