A body found in an area of St John in the US Virgin Islands has been confirmed to be that of missing Manx advocate Mark Moroney.

The news was confirmed to iomtoday.co.im today by Mr Moroney’s son, Robin, who told us that the body found on Friday had been formally identified yesterday as his father.

Mr Moroney’s body was found in a steep and heavily wooded area of St John at about 3.55pm on Friday last week, although, until now, no formal identification had been confirmed.

He was first reported missing by his wife Susan from their home in Chocolate Hole in the Caribbean on Sunday, February 11 after he went to retrieve a torch from his car during a power cut and disappeared.

The police had previously searched using thermal imaging cameras and a team of search dogs with no success.

The tragic case has baffled emergency services in the Caribbean.

Bob Malacarne, training officer for St John Rescue, said: ’I’ve been doing this for 50 years, and I’ve never seen a case like this.’

Mr Moroney, aged 70, had a long and acclaimed law career in the island having been called to the bar in the early 1970s and later founding the law firm Moroneys.