By CECILY ASSON Saturday, September 6 2008

AN AUTOPSY carried out yesterday on the body of 53-year-old Margaret Constantine, the paramedic and part-time taxi driver who was found dead on Thursday, revealed she died from asphyxia consistent with strangulation.

Constantine’s bloated body, still clothed in her black and white stripe skirt suit which she wore after leaving her Marabella home on Monday night, was found just after midday on Thursday in a forested area off Charuma Branch Road in Tabaquite.

The white Nissan B15 Sentra (HCA 2651) Constantine was driving, has not yet been found. Charuma villagers stumbled across the body while they were searching for Shane Sampath, 26, of Todds Road, who was reported missing since Sunday last.

Constantine who was also a contract worker stationed at the TSTT’s Cipero Work Centre, San Fernando where she drove one of the company’s ambulances, reportedly left home at about 7.30 pm to ply her taxi.

Her common-law husband Dexter Cooper said that before disappearing, Constantine dropped off a passenger in Chaguanas and was headed back to Port-of-Spain to make an 11.45 pm deadline to take employees of a fast-food outlet home. Reports are that she never made it and calls to her cell phones went unanswered. PC Gadar is investigating.