At Least 10 Skulls, One Linked to a Missing Person, Found in New Mexico

At least 10 human skulls have been found at a residence in Jal, N.M., with one possibly being linked to a woman who has been missing since 2019.   

Lea County Sheriff's Office was first alerted on Nov. 5 after an investigator with the department received information that a Jal resident had an “unsettling encounter” with a person they gave a ride to.

The passenger, who has since been identified as 28-year-old Cecil Villanueva, was reportedly “carrying two bags” and then “made alarming statements and discarded objects from the vehicle, some of which appeared to be human bones,” per a press release shared on the department’s Facebook account on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Officers searched the area where the driver reported the incident and found “bone fragments” near a convenience store. A pathologist determined that the remains were human.

Investigators say Villanueva’s residence on South 4th Street had been “associated with rumors of human remains” and went back to the property with a search warrant on Nov. 6, where “additional bone fragments, including portions of a skull and jawbone” were found.

The discovery led to a team returning to conduct a more “comprehensive search” on Nov. 9. 

At that time, crews discovered “evidence of 10–20 human skulls.” The remains were transported to the Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque for further analysis and potential identification.

Villanueva reportedly told investigators he purchased the remains online and has not yet faced any charges.

According to Lea County Sheriff's Office, the case is now tied to the 2019 disappearance of Angela McManes, who lived near the South 4th Street property at the time she went missing. 

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McManes’ sister, Kris Kelton, spoke with KOB 4 in an article last updated on Wednesday, Nov. 13, about the new details regarding her sister’s disappearance. 

However, Kelton said the family does not have much new information and currently knows about as much as the public does. 

“No, simply because it’s still pending. Yes, do I think it’s possible when you think it through? But you know, we don’t want to come to any conclusion until we know the final outcome,” Kelton told the news station. “All we know is pretty much what’s been released through social media.”

She added that McManes had not been seen or heard from in five years and left without her glasses, diabetes medication and money.

Kelton said her sister was a mom to three children and would have never willingly left her kids behind. 

“If it come to her kids, she was going to defend them right or wrong and then deal with the wrong or right. She was a great mom. She loved her kids more than I can even tell you. 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,” Kelton told the outlet.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lea County Sheriff’s Office at 575-396-3611 or Lea County Crimestoppers at 575-393-8005.