Two American missionaries in Jamaica have been found dead, apparently murdered.

Harold Nichols (53) and Randy Hentzel (48) went missing in the northeastern parish of St Mary this weekend.

According to The Gleaner, police found the men's bodies almost 24 hours apart in the Albion Mountain region.

Marks of violence were seen on Nichols' body, according to the police. Hentzel's body was found face down in bushes with his hands tied behind his back.

Harold and Teri Nichols and Randy and Sara Hentzel worked with missionary organisation TEAMS for Medical Mission. Their role was to support churches in their outreach and run medical mission programmes involving volunteers from the US.

Teri Nichols told RJR News her husband had left on a motorcycle on Saturday to examine the foundations of a house.

"He's building a house for a woman in a week," she said. "And he went to check to see if the foundation was finished and to check on the woman it was being built for. I believe Randy wanted to take care of somebody that was in his Bible college who was in dire need of a house.

"They went and they just never came back."

Dwight Powell, deputy superintendent of police and acting head of the St Mary Police, told The Gleaner: "The kind of support that [Nichols and Hentzel] got from local residents, especially from Huddersfield [and] Mango Valley, was overwhelming. We had a search party and over 70 residents came out and assisted with the search. I was really heartened."

"We are saddened by the horrible deaths of the two American missionaries. They're not just visiting, but have been pillars of both communities for years," said Joshua Polacheck, a spokesman for the US embassy. "The ambassador has been in contact with the highest levels of the Jamaican security apparatus, and we are hoping for a speedy resolution to this matter and that the killers are found and brought to justice."

TEAMS for Medical Missions told Christian Today in a statement: "We do not know who would do this or what their motivation was. These men greatly loved the people of Jamaica and were greatly loved in return.

"TEAMS for Medical Missions remains committed to serving the people of Jamaica and demonstrating the unconditional love of Christ. Our T4MM family is grieving and we covet your prayers. We serve an amazing God who is able to bring beauty from ashes and it is in Him that we put our trust."