Investigators in New Mexico discovered several human skulls and other remains after a suspicious person allegedly made "alarming statements" during an "unsettling encounter" with a resident who offered him a ride.
On Nov. 5, a Jal, New Mexico local picked up a man identified as Cecil Villanueva.
"He reported that Villanueva, carrying two bags, made alarming statements and discarded objects from the vehicle, some of which appeared to be human bones," the Lea County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.
A search near a convenience store and at a property Villanueva had been staying at, which had been "associated with rumors of human remains," led to the discovery of bone fragments from "10-20 human skulls," according to the LCSO.
An investigation is underway to determine if any of the remains belong to missing mom of three, Angela McManes, who lived near the property until she disappeared in 2019.
"She was a great mom. She loved her kids more than I can even tell you," McManes' sister, Kris Kelton, told KOB-TV Wednesday. "I know everybody loves their kids, but that was one of our clues that something was wrong, because she would not have walked out on her children."
Sheriff Corey Hilton offered his reassurance the city doesn't "have a serial killer walking around," and that Villanueva – who allegedly claimed he purchased the bones on the internet – has not been named a suspect, however he is jailed on an unrelated charge.
"Numerous people in Jal and including the police department knew this guy possessed human bones," Hilton said, the outlet reported. "One of my chief deputies looked it up online, and you can buy bones offline, skulls offline."
The investigation remains ongoing.
