Two arrested in California after dismembered body found on golf course

Discovery came as part of ongoing missing person case, police say

Kimberly Machleit, 35, and Donald Anderson, 37, were arrested on Tuesday, police said. ( Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office)

Two people in California have been arrested in connection with murder following the discovery of a dismembered body on a golf course, authorities have said.

Kimberly Machleit, 35, and Donald Anderson, 37, both from Santa Maria, were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, KTLA reported.

Ms Machleit was arrested on a charge of with murder with special circumstances and conspiracy and Mr Anderson was arrested for accessory to murder,  Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office  said in a release.

“It appears that the victim was murdered in the city of Santa Maria and dismembered before being disposed of at the golf course in December 2018,” the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said.

The remains were discovered on the gold course as part of an ongoing investigation into a missing person case, police said.

The Sheriff’s Office Dive team discovered the human remains at Blacklake Golf Course in Nipomo but the identity of the body has not yet been released pending coroners verification.

Police said that the victim had been missing for two years and said that the suspects and the victim knew each other.

Ms Machleit and Mr Anderson are being held on $2,000,000 and $1,000,000 bail respectively, authorities said. Police said the investigation is ongoing.