Initial fears of a serial killer in the small town of Jal, New Mexico, have been dispelled after human bone fragments found at a property were determined to likely have been legally purchased online, authorities said.
The discovery was sparked on November 5 when a local resident reported an "unsettling encounter" with Cecil Villanueva, who allegedly discarded what appeared to be human bones while being given a ride. This incident led investigators to a home where they found bone fragments in a burned structure, KRQE reported.
The Lea County Sheriff's Office initially tied the remains to the 2019 disappearance of a woman whose last known residence was near the property. However, Undersheriff Michael Walker later explained that the home's former resident was known to collect skulls, reportedly purchased legally online.
"We don't feel that there's any type of serial killer. We don't feel that there's any wrongdoing at this point," he clarified, acknowledging that fire damage has complicated the verification of the bones' origins.
"The reason why we're investigating it to this level is that there's no proof to show that it came from an online distributor," he said.
The remains are now with the Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque, where efforts are underway to reconstruct and identify them. Walker emphasized that officials cannot yet confirm whether the fragments are connected to a missing persons case or if they are ancient remains.
Villanueva, who was seen carrying a bag of bones, has not been charged in relation to the investigation but was arrested for an unrelated trespassing offense. The case remains under review as authorities await further analysis of the bones.
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