A suitor's "jealous rage" has been identified as the catslyst to the murder of Miss Honduras, Maria Jose Alvarado, 19, and her sister,  Sofia, 23.

Plutarco Ruiz, who was identified as Sofia's boyfriend, admitted to shooting the women on November 13 after he saw Sofia dancing with another man. 

Ruiz told police that he and his girlfriend were arguing before he shot her. Alvarado was shot twice in the back when she tried to flee the scene. 

Ruiz and an accomplice then apparently buried the women in Santa Barbara, near a spa where the trio had celebrated Ruiz's birthday. He then took part in the search for the women over the week that they were missing. 

"We didn't file a complaint right away because we were waiting for a telephone call asking for ransom," the girls' uncle, Claudio Cecilio Munoz told the Associated Press. 

"On Saturday their mother and I went to put in a complaint and the killer was with us."

The sisters' bodies were discovered on Wednesday - the same day that Alvarado was scheduled to fly to London to compete in the Miss World pageant. 

"We had her gown ready and her traditional dress costumes," said television personality Salvador Nasrallah.

"This is not a crime of passion; this is machismo."

The Honduras-based Center for Women's Rights said the murders are indicative of a larger problem in the Central American country.

"The case of Mary Jose and Sofia show clearly the situation of generalised violence against women and the nonexistent response of the Honduran government to prevent, investigate or punish it," a statement from the organisation read. 

The sisters were described by family and friends as being friendly and trusting to a fault. Alvarado aspired to be a diplomat, and modelled to help support her family. 

"She was simple, humble, a total innocent smiling and without malice," said Ludin Reyes, a Technical University of Honduras classmate of Alvarado.