The chief of police in a Rhode Island beach community has stated that there is no link between the human remains uncovered on Wednesday and the online speculations about a serial killer in New England.
“At this point, from what I know, there is no evidence connecting these remains to any serial killer or murderer in New England,” Westerly Police Chief Paul Gingerella explained to Fox News Digital on Friday.
The discovery occurred in the affluent coastal area of Watch Hill, within the town of Westerly, Rhode Island, close to a grand mansion that belongs to pop icon Taylor Swift.
Of the 13 bodies found, five have been found in Massachusetts, five in Connecticut and three in Rhode Island.
Six of the deceased have been identified as females and three as males. The sexes of the remaining four are unknown.
The age ranges of those identified also vary. Seven of the victims were older than 45, while two were between the ages of 25 and 44.
The discovery in Westerly comes three weeks after an unidentified male was found in the Seekonk River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Westerly and Pawtucket are about 48 miles apart.
The first body found in Rhode Island was that of Michele Romano, found in the town of Foster in March, about 49 miles from Westerly.
Romano’s family said her death is unrelated to any potential serial killer.
Watch Hill is an affluent coastal neighborhood in the town of Westerly, R.I. (Getty Images)
“In light of the recent comments being made, we know that Michele’s passing is in no way related to any type of serial killer,” the family said when her remains were identified.
“We have complete faith in the Rhode Island State Police and our Private Investigator that the person responsible will be brought to justice sooner rather than later! We would appreciate it, if people on social media/news or other platforms would stop making false statements that our Michele is in any way the victim of a serial killer!!”
The Rhode Island State Police and the FBI did not respond to requests for comment.
