A New Mexico man arrested earlier this month in connection with five murders confessed that he’s actually killed 16 people, according to a prosecutor’s statement Friday.
Sean Lannon, 47, was arrested Mar. 10 in St. Louis, Missouri on charges of burglary and possession of a weapon after allegedly forcing entry into the New Jersey home of Michael Dabkowski, 66, who was found dead two days prior, according to the Associated Press.
Sean Lannon, 47, was charged with burglary and possession of a weapon after allegedly forcing entry into a home Monday in Elk Township, New Jersey. He is a person of interest in the deaths of his ex-wife and 3 men: https://t.co/fF2qflNG1Q
— U.S. Marshals (@USMarshalsHQ) March 10, 2021
Lannon told the investigators that Dabkowski had sexually abused him as a child, and that he had paid Dabkowski a visit to retrieve sexually explicit photos the victim allegedly was in possession of, NJ.com reported. Lannon is accused of breaking in and beating Dabkowski to death with a hammer, according to an affidavit.
A law enforcement official confirmed Sunday that Lannon is the primary suspect in the case of four murders — his ex-wife and three other people, whose bodies were found Mar. 5 in a vehicle in a garage at Albuquerque’s airport, according to the Associated Press.
Lannon confessed to killing “11 other individuals” in a phone call with a relative. AP reported. Alec Gutierrez, an assistant prosecutor in Gloucester County, New Jersey, stated that Lannon had admitted to luring people to his New Mexico home and dismembering some of them.
Local law enforcement officials are in close contact with the FBI as attempts at checking the veracity of the confession are being made.
New Mexico Police Lt. David Chavez previously questioned the plausibility of Lannon’s claims.
“Is it possible? Sure, anything’s possible. Is it plausible?” Chavez said, according to AP. “Unfortunately we are still investigating that and conducting search warrants for evidentiary value.”