The Riversdale police in St. Catherine are searching for the common-law husband of a 39-year-old woman who was chopped to death in the Top Mountain area of St. Catherine on Saturday night.

THE STAR learnt that Junior Clarke, a construction worker had a dispute with Evan Patterson. It is said that the dispute became heated, during which a machete was used to chop Patterson repeatedly in the face, killing her on the spot. Clarke fled the area and has not been seen since.

When THE STAR visited the community, Patterson's father, Thomas, was too grief-stricken to speak and when he was asked about his daughter, he kept shaking his head.

Persons who spoke say the death of the woman has left nine children - between the ages of four and thirteen - motherless. Six of those belong to Clarke.

They claim that Patterson was a quiet and kind person, but the couple was having problems for the last two years.

In the meanwhile, the police said that they have launched an investigation into the death of the woman.

Patterson is the fourth person to be killed in the St. Catherine North Division since the start of the year.