Officials: Body ID could take several weeks

PORTALES — Confirmation of the identity of the body found last week inside a burning truck outside Portales could take up to several more weeks, officials said on Monday.

Until then, no name will be released, not from law enforcement, Roosevelt County Sheriff Malin Parker said. Nor will officials yet say if they believe foul play was involved.

An investigation began after firefighters discovered a body inside a Chevrolet pickup truck in flames the evening of Dec. 12, situated on a property near the intersection of Roosevelt Road T and New Mexico State Road 267.

Parker initially hoped to have conclusive forensic results to identify the body in a few days, but learned Friday it would take more time.

“We still don’t have anything. Due to the extent of the damage to the body, they’ve had to take some extra measures to identify him,” he said. “I’m not going to comment until it’s in stone.”

Investigators are reluctant to publicly speculate on the identity of the truck’s occupant or the circumstances of that person’s death until they get responses not only from the Office of the Medical Investigator but also the State Fire Marshal’s office.

“The investigator on scene from the State Fire Marshal’s office said that he would be as quick as he could in getting his report out — two weeks tops, maybe less,” Parker said. “And for the pathologist, it depends.”

Lon Wright, one of the first in the vicinity to report the fire last week, said Friday he knew the identity of the owner of the truck and hasn’t heard from him since, but declined to name that person.

Parker said Monday he was fairly confident but not certain of the identity of the deceased and had spoken with that person’s family — yet neither party is completely certain, and reached for comment Monday both declined to comment on record.

“The family suspects it was their dad, as we probably do as well,” Parker said. “But this one, because of the circumstances, it’s taking a little longer and we want to be precise.”