Police are investigating after two sacks containing eight human heads were found in a park in Ecuador, South America. The sacks, that came with a chilling three-word note, were found in the canton of Naranjal in the Guayas province in central Ecuador.
The human remains were found at kilometre 66 with a note that said “No stealing allowed”, the police commander in Guayas Colonel Marcelo Castillo has stated.
According to the officer, the main theory behind the gruesome discovery is that it came about because of a clash “between criminal groups”.
The remains have since been ordered by the on-duty prosecutor to be transferred to the morgue in Naranjal, so further forensic tests can be carried out to establish the identities of the deceased.
Following the discovery of the remains, the police have announced that they are investigating it as a murder, with the clash between local gangs being used as a starting point.
According to Extra, the ages of the men the heads belong to range from 16 to 22 and that seven of the eight victims have now been identified.
The identified victims were listed as Luis Jhonny Zambrano Macías, 22, Anthony Silvano Mendoza Quiroz, 22, Limber Yancarlos Romero Baren, 21, Josué Gregorio Romero Reyes, 19, Kelvin Efraín Mendoza Meza, 18, Édison Rodolfo Mera Macías, 18, and Cristopher, 16. The eighth victim has not yet been identified.
Relatives of the identified victims have reportedly declined to comment on the matter whilst the canton’s forensic doctor Fidel Penaranda said the heads were likely severed around 60 hours before they were found.
Meanwhile, locals have also been commenting on the discovery of the heads, with restaurant owner Welleginton Roman saying they had brought their Carnival plans to a halt.
They said: “These deaths have brought our entire holiday to a standstill; nobody is coming to celebrate like in other years.”
Sara Mota added that the discovery had reduced people’s desire to head out at night, they explained: “We’re having a holiday without any visitors. The news of these gruesome crimes has kept everyone away. We haven’t sold any of the crab rice dishes and soups, so we’ve donated them to charities.”
As the National Police and the Prosecutor’s Office deploys special units from the National Directorate of Specialised Investigations to investigate the matter, the grizzly find adds to a worrying trend in Ecuador.
The discovery of these eight heads puts the total found in Ecuador to 13 after five heads were found hanging in the neighbouring coastal province of Manabi on January 11, reports Latercera. Those five heads were found on the popular tourist beach of Puerto Lopez.
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