Florida handyman charged with murder after police find missing woman's body buried in septic tank

JENSEN BEACH, Fla. — A Florida handyman has been charged with murder after a body believed to be that of a missing woman was discovered in the septic tank of her home, police said Saturday.

The discovery of the body, believed to be that of Cynthia Cole, 57, was made in the course of an overnight dig at the house over the weekend. 

Since Feb. 24, friends, family and authorities had been looking for Cole and her vehicle, a gray Jeep Cherokee. The state Medical Examiner's Office was performing an autopsy and identification on the body. 

"Detectives have every reason to believe (the body) is that of Ms. Cole," the Martin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Facebook.

On Saturday, the Sheriff's Office took Keoki Hilo Demich, 34, a handyman for Cole, into custody and charged him with second-degree murder.

The dig at the home on Northeast Skyline Drive lasted from Friday evening into Saturday morning, Martin County Sheriff’s detectives said.

"Detectives spent hours excavating Cole’s back yard, and located the body submerged in the contents of the tank about four feet underground," Martin County Sheriff's office said in the statement.

Follow Lamaur Stancil on Twitter: @TCPalmLStancil.