Prisoner 'killed his ex-wife and buried her under floor of his CELL' – and no one noticed for a year

An inmate allegedly killed his ex-wife and buried her under the floor of his cell in Bolivia's largest prison - which Pope Francis visited last year - but nobody noticed for nearly a year, it has emerged.

The remains of Kenia Hidalgo Cespedes were only discovered after another prisoner confessed to having helped bury the body. Marco Antonio Ramirez was already serving a 30 year sentence for killing another

former girlfriend. 

Ms Cespedes had apparently visited Ramirez to discuss the sale of an apartment they jointly owned. 

Bolivian law allows inmates to have unsupervised visits. 

Chief prosecutor Gomer Padilla said her remains were only uncovered when another inmate came forward after Ramirez allegedly failed to pay the 2,000 bolivianos (£197) he had promised him to keep silent.

Mr Padilla said: 'There are some investigations pending but all elements show that the skeletal remains belong to the ex-wife of this man who was already sentenced for murder, 

He said they were investigating why prison guards had failed to notice Ms Cespedes had not left the prison.

But visits are not closely monitored at the chaotic and badly overcrowded prison on the outskirts of the city of Santa Cruz. 

Inside its walls, inmates are largely in charge, drugs are cheaper than on the street and money buys survival.

In 2013 one gang at Palmasola attacked its rivals with machetes and home-made flamethrowers, killing 36 people, including a one-year-old child whose mother was visiting an inmate. 

It was modern Bolivia's deadliest prison riot.- MailOnline