A man was arraigned Monday in Brockton District Court on charges connected to a box of human remains that was found in Duxbury two weeks ago.
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz and Duxbury Police Chief Matthew Clancy announced Monday morning that a Guatemalan man was charged with misleading a police investigation. Jose Milthon Freddy Azurdia-Montenegro, 55, appeared in court, but was not accused of being connected to the death itself.
A prosecutor said Montenegro confirmed to officers that he had known the victim for 5-6 years. A defense attorney said both Montenegro and the victim were in the same line of business–flying to the US to buy cars to ship back to Guatemala.
“He was shocked, and still, to this morning and before he was arraigned, didn’t know why he was here,” defense attorney Scott Bradley said.
On July 27, Duxbury Police received a call reporting a suspicious box at the intersection of Alexander Way at Walker Road in Duxbury. Duxbury Police located the box, which had been partially opened. A strong odor was detected emanating from within. Duxbury Police notified the State Police Bomb Unit, which responded to the scene. The remains were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for examination and identification. An autopsy was conducted and the cause and manner of death have not yet been identified.
The remains were identified through fingerprint analysis by the Department of Homeland Security as being Estuardo Leonel Melgar Perez of Guatemala. A 14-inch incision was observed on the abdomen of the deceased.
“The only injury to the body was an incision from the breast bone down to the pelvic area. No internal damage from the incision, though there was a careful cut to the stomach, presumably to access the contents of the stomach,” a prosecutor said.
Investigators have determined that Melgar Perez entered the United States on July 25, 2014 through JFK International Airport on a flight from Honduras. Melgar Perez was scheduled to leave the United States on Aug. 2 on a flight to Honduras leaving out of JFK International Airport. The defendant was also scheduled to be on that flight.
Sources tell 7News the victim may have been carrying drugs into the country illegally.
The matter remains under investigation by the State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and the Duxbury Police. Anyone with information is urged to contact investigators at 508-923-4205 or 781-934-5656.