Police have arrested three men in connection with the discovery of the decayingbody of a black male which was found in Lagoon Park, Sandys, last Thursday.

And The Royal Gazette has learned that the man may have been stabbed to death and that Marine Police officers spent the weekend searching the waters around Watford Bridge in Sandys for a murder weapon which is thought to be a knife.

Reports also surfaced over the weekend that Police learnt about the body, its location and the three men's alleged involvement in its disappearance from a man they had arrested earlier for minor offences who offered the information in exchange for lenient treatment. The informant is understood to have led officers straight to the body.

A Police spokesman yesterday revealed that the body was that of a black male and that Police were still treating the death as a murder. Although Police have finished examining the body, they are still trying to positively identify the deceased and it has yet to be confirmed if the victim was a local resident or a visitor to the Island. It is understood that two forensic experts have been called in from the US to help gather evidence surrounding what could be the Island's third murder this year. Meanwhile the spokesman disclosed that the trio in custody are in their late twenties and early thirties.

No further details were made available by Police yesterday who still had the crime scene sealed off and had parked a mobile command centre at the site. In statements following the discovery of the body last week, Police appealed for witnesses who may have seen anything suspicious in the area between July 28 and the body's discovery on August 9.

A livery cycle from Oleander Cycles was found near the body and taken away by Police just before the body was removed from the scene by two men from Pearman's Funeral Home late Thursday afternoon. This fuelled speculation that the man was a visitor and on Friday, VSB news reported that the individual was a Columbian man with ties to international drug smuggling rings, a report that Police denied.

Yesterday Police again stressed that the investigation was "intensive" and they were "relentlessly pursuing all leads".

The Police spokesman said the assistance from members of the community had been extremely good and they were following up on a number of promising leads following appeals through the media.

They also continued their appeal for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the area of Lefory House, Lagoon Park or the wooded area in the days leading up to Cup Match to contact Detective Chief Inspector Earl Kirby at either 299-4315 or the 24-hour Police number at 295-0011 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-623-8477.

Other murders this year include the stabbing death of a George Kelly, a vagrant who was found in the parking lot behind the Silver Spoon Restaurant in Hamilton on June 1. Gernel Leroy Darrell, 22, is in custody awaiting trial for this murder. More recently, 22- year-old Tekle Mallory was fatally stabbed during a fight at the Ice Queen in Paget in July and cousins, Quincy Stanley Brangman, 22, and Everett Jahni Bean, 18, are jointly accused of the murder.