Bosque murder scene familiar to officers

BELEN, N.M. (KRQE) - Firefighters quickly jumped on a fire in the Rio Grande bosque Monday night, and now New Mexico State Police have another murder investigation from the area on their hands.

Late Tuesday afternoon investigators hauled away the burned out wreckage of a car taking it to Santa Fe for forensic examination.

And the Office of the Medical Investigator has the body found near the car working to identify the man and how he died. For now police are treating the case as a murder.

"Obviously homicides aren't too common," State Police Lt. Tim Johnson told News 13. "I've been around for 12 years with State Police, and this has occurred several times in this stretch."

It was around 9 p.m. Monday when a staff member from the New Mexico Boys Ranch south of Belen reported flames in the bosque that turned out to be the burning car. Firefighters found the body nearby.

Investigators were on the scene all night and through the day on Tuesday.  The Socorro County Sheriff's Office handled the initial investigation but have turned the case over to State Police.

State Police took over the investigation and believe they know who the victim is although they're not saying who that might be.

Investigators hope the medical investigators can give them a positive identification on Wednesday.