Authorities in New Mexico say they discovered at least 10 human skulls in and around a property near the southeastern border, which could include the remains of a woman who’s been missing since 2019.
Investigators found the remains while executing a search warrant for Cecil Villanueva, a man flagged to law enforcement by a local resident in the city of Jal. The resident said he offered Villanueva a ride in his car and proceeded to have “an unsettling encounter” with him, the Lea County Sheriff’s Office said.
The resident, who authorities haven’t named, reported the interaction on Nov. 5. He said Villanueva was carrying two bags and “made alarming statements” as he “discarded objects from the vehicle, some of which appeared to be human bones,” the sheriff’s office said. Investigators uncovered bone fragments during their subsequent search of the area, and a pathologist later confirmed they were in fact human bones. Forensic experts went on to determine the findings included portions of a human skull and jawbone, according to the sheriff.
There is evidence of the remains of between 10 and 20 human skulls on a property in Jal where Villanueva had been staying, which was “associated with rumors of human remains,” the sheriff said. A team of investigators and a forensic anthropologist turned over the remains to the Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque. The medical investigator will analyze and potentially identify them.
Law enforcement has so far released few details about the case, but they said it “is being closely tied” to the disappearance of a woman named Angela McManes, who went missing in 2019 and lived near the property now under investigation.
“Authorities are working diligently to determine the connection between the remains and McManes, as well as other possible victims,” the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities have not said whether Villanueva has been arrested in this case. The man apparently claims he purchased the skulls online, CBS News affiliate KOSA reported Tuesday. At the time, Lea County Undersheriff Michael Walker told the station authorities were still working to determine whether the skulls they found were real human skulls.
Anyone with information related to the investigation has been asked to contact the Lea County Sheriff’s Office or the county’s local Crime Stoppers line. CBS News reached out to the sheriff’s office for more information but did not immediately hear back.
