An arrest has been made in connection with the investigation into the human remains found in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in July.
According to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz and Duxbury Police Chief Matthew Clancy, Jose Milthon Freddy Azurdia-Montenegro, 55, of Guatemala, has been charged with one count of misleading a police Investigation.
He was arraigned Monday in the Brockton District Court.
On July 27 at 11:36 a.m., Duxbury Police received a call reporting a suspicious box at the intersection of Alexander Way at Walker Road in Duxbury. Police located the box, which had been partially opened. A strong odor was coming from the box and the State Police Bomb Unit responded to the scene.
Officials determined the package contained what appeared to be human remains. The remains were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for examination and identification.
The attorney for Azurdia-Montenegro says his client had nothing to do with remains, which have been identified as 44-year-old Estuardo Melgar Perez, who is also from Guatemala.
Police say the victim was in the country only 48 hours before his body was discovered.
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A 14-inch incision was observed on Melgar Perez’s abdomen.
Investigators determined that Melgar Perez entered the United States on July 25 through JFK International Airport on a flight from Honduras. He was scheduled to leave the United States on Aug. 2 on a flight to Honduras leaving out of JFK International Airport.
Azurdia-Montenegro was stopped by police Saturday at the airport as he tried to board a plane bound for Honduras and agreed to return to answer questions.
Authorities say the defendant knew the victim for about five or six years because they are both in the same business of buying cars here and taking them back to Guatemala.
The defendant was also scheduled to be on that flight.
Azurdia-Montenegro has been held on $10,000 cash bail. He was also ordered to surrender his passport.
A pre-trial conference has been scheduled for Aug. 28.
Police continue to investigate.
Anyone with information is urged to contact investigators at (508) 923-4205 or (781) 934-5656.
