Body of man found dead identified as murder suspect | Local News

“Because it’s an ongoing investigation, I can’t reveal the manner of death or evidence located at the crime scene,” he said.

Deputies were informed at 2:20 p.m. that the body of the man, later identified as Villarreal, was found by a rancher on a property in the area of Old Y.O. Road. Yslas said that initially, the person who called did not know if the person, later identified as Villarreal, was dead or sleeping.

Yslas said investigators have several suspects, but that he could not say how many.

“They (the investigators) are still in the process of gathering information and evidence, and things such as that,” he said.

Roswell police issued a press release on Friday asking the public for information they might have about the location of Villarreal. He was reported missing on Feb. 27 by his mother after he was last seen on the morning of Feb. 22 leaving her house. The mother then contacted police after Villarreal had not answered calls from her or his girlfriend.

Villarreal had been out on conditions of release ahead of a trial scheduled for December on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and conspiracy to commit shooting at or from a motor vehicle.

Criminal complaints allege that Villarreal was one of three suspects in a drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of 45-year-old Christopher Herrera. Police indicate Villarreal was the driver of the vehicle involved in the shooting.

Investigators believe that on Aug. 21 at about 3:40 a.m. Villarreal had…