Pearl's body found in shallow grave

A decapitated and dismembered body believed to be that of the American reporter Daniel Pearl was found yesterday in a shallow grave on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan. Blood and hair samples have been sent for DNA testing, but Pakistani police said yesterday they were "quite sure" the body was Mr Pearl's.

Cut into 10 pieces, and with the head propped vertically on the horizontal torso, the body was buried in a walled nursery in the suburb of Gaddap, 18 miles from the city centre.

Nearby was a shed in which police believe Mr Pearl was held for two or three days after his abduction on 23 January. There were bloodstains on the walls of the hut, and a chair identical to one seen in photographs of Mr Pearl that were sent to media organisations following his abduction.

Four men are on trial for Mr Pearl's murder, including the supposed "mastermind", Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British national who was born and raised in Essex. But the latest breakthrough occurred after police arrested three more men on suspicion of involvement. It was their confessions that led police to the secluded site.

According to witnesses in the trial, Mr Pearl, South Asia correspondent of The Wall Street Journal, was abducted from his home in Karachi by Omar Sheikh while investigating possible links between Richard Reid, the British so-called "shoe bomber", and Islamic militants in Pakistan.

Several days later, e-mails were sent to international media organisations demanding the return to Pakistan of Pakistanis being held by the US at Guantanamo Bay. Photographs were attached to the e-mails showing Mr Pearl in captivity.

In February, the fears of Mr Pearl's friends and his heavily pregnant wife, Mariane, were confirmed when a video was delivered to the US consulate in Karachi showing Mr Pearl being killed.