JAL, N.M. (KRQE) – A case involving the discovery of pieces of human skulls in a small New Mexico city has made national headlines, but now those in charge of the investigation are saying some of the initial claims that were made by the local sheriff's office may not have been entirely accurate. Is it legal to buy human bones online? The Lea County Sheriff's Office announced on Tuesday that it found evidence of 10 to 20 human skulls at a property in Jal, which shares a border with Texas. The sheriff's office initially said the case is being closely tied to the disappearance of a woman in 2019 whose last known residence was near the property where the human remains were found. Evidence photo of skull fragments found in Jal, New Mexico, in 2024. (Credit: Lea County Sheriff's Office) KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret spoke with the sheriff's office on Thursday, where officials clarified that there is not a serial killer in town and that they no longer believe the bones found are connected to the missing woman's case. The sheriff's office said the remains were likely 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," said Lea County Undersheriff Michael Walker. So how did investigators come to discover the remains and tie them to the possible disappearance of McManes? It started on Nov. 5, when deputies received a report from a resident who had an “unsettling encounter” with a man who he was giving a ride. According to investigators, the resident said the man, identified as Cecil Villanueva, allegedly made alarming statements and disposed of what appeared to be human bones out of the vehicle. According to documents obtained by KRQE, the person who gave Villanueva a ride told a friend about the encounter. That friend then called the sheriff's office because his mom went missing from the area in 2019. "You know, it's just very ironic and most likely just coincidental that she lived across the street from this home that had burned. Um, and the fact that, you know, this, this friend who picked this man up knew of the son and knew of the disappearance," said Walker. Officials learned that Villanueva was reportedly squatting at a home on South 4th Street in Jal and obtained a search warrant for the property. At the property, investigators found pieces of bone in a home that was previously involved in a fire. KRQE News 13 asked the undersheriff why they sent out a news release with information that said the skulls may be linked to the woman's disappearance. Walker responded, "Well, it's better to give out the information that we know rather than to conceal something that may be in existence." Inside of a home in Jal where pieces of human skulls were found. (Credit: Lea County Sheriff's Office) Privacy concerns raised on use of license plate reader technology in New Mexico Walker said officials have since learned that the man who lived in the home before it burned collected human skulls he reportedly purchased online. KRQE News 13 obtained the search warrant for the case, dated a week earlier, that indicated an investigator discussed rumors about the homeowner being in possession of human skulls with the Jal Police chief. "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 of these types of things. Uh, because they were also damaged in the fire," Walker explained. The undersheriff also said the Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque has the bone fragments and is working to reconstruct the skulls. Walker said he is not sure when they will know if the remains really were bought online, if they are connected to a different missing persons case, or if they are ancient remains. As for Villanueva, who was seen carrying a bag of bones before throwing them out of the vehicle, he has not been charged with anything in relation to this investigation. Deputies took him into custody on Tuesday on an unrelated trespassing charge at the Allsups, where the bone fragments were found.