LCSO discovers human remains amid ongoing missing person investigation

JAL, New Mexico (KMID/KPEJ) – The Lea County Sheriff's Office is investigating after the discovery of suspected human remains that may be linked to a missing persons case from 2019.

According to LCSO, on November 5, an investigator with the Sheriff's Office received a report involving a Jal resident who had an unsettling encounter with Cecil Villanueva while offering him a ride. The resident reported that Villanueva, who was carrying two bags, made alarming statements and discarded objects from the vehicle, some of which appeared to be human bones. Subsequent searches near a convenience store and Villanueva's reported location revealed bone fragments later confirmed by a pathologist to be human.

LCSO said Villanueva had been staying at a property on South 4th Street, which was associated with rumors of human remains. Investigators executed a search warrant at the residence on November 6, uncovering additional bone fragments, including portions of a skull and jawbone.

Remains of Odessa woman missing since 1984 identified

On November 9, a forensic anthropologist and a team of investigators conducted a comprehensive search, where they discovered 10-20 human skulls. The remains were transported to the Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque for further analysis and potential identification.

LCSO said this case is being closely tied to the 2019 disappearance of Angela McManes, whose last known residence was near the property under investigation. Authorities are working to determine the connection between the remains and McManes, as well as other possible victims.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin.

A Russian court sentenced a Moscow paediatrician to 5-1/2 years in a penal colony on Tuesday, Russian media said, after the mother of one of her patients publicly denounced her over comments about Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Prosecutors had last week asked for a six-year sentence for Nadezhda Buyanova for spreading "fakes" about the Russian army after the mother recorded a video in which she denounced the 68-year-old doctor over remarks that Buyanova has denied making. Over 1,000 people have been criminally prosecuted in Russia for speaking out against the war, according to rights project OVD-Info, and over 20,000 have been detained for protesting.