Three men described as “transient” by local police were allegedly killed in June and July in the Roswell area.
The FBI announced it was joining the investigation with local police, seeking leads that could indicated any connection between the apparent homicides.
Federal officials issued a notice on Aug. 11 that the FBI is looking for information on the deaths of Kent Hoffman, 56, on June 14, Andrew Lujan-Huerta, 46, on July 14 and Karl Affsprung, 50 on July 29.
The Chaves County Sheriff’s Office and the Roswell Police Department are also aiding the inquiry, according to the notice.
All three victims were described as “transient” in court documents, indicating they were likely homeless or not permanent residents of the area.
Hoffman and Huerta were both found in the Hondo river channel and reported to be homeless, according to a social media post from the Roswell Police Department.
Hoffman’s body was discovered near the downtown area in the river channel on June 14, according to the post. Police did not release details of any suspected cause of death but deemed it a homicide investigation.
A month later, on July 14, Lujan-Huerta was found dead in the river channel behind a trailer on McCall Loop, just to the west of South Sunset Avenue.
He suffered from at least one gunshot wound, according to the post.
The Roswell Police Department in July said it did not believe there was a connection between the deaths of Lujan-Huerta and Hoffman.
On July 29, Karl Affsprung was found dead 10 miles east of Roswell, near 25 Arlene Road “in the middle of the desert with multiple gunshot wounds,” records show.
Multiple casing were recovered from the scene where Affsprung was found shot to death, according to a partially redacted alert from the FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program.
The FBI is asking anyone with information to call their tip line at 1800-225-5324.
Who was Andrew Huerta-Lujan?
An obituary for Huerta-Lujan describes him loving loud music, hanging out with his son and biking around town.
“He was a big fan of the 49ers, WWE wrestling, and movies, especially Marvel films. Superman was his favorite, and he never got tired of watching anything that brought action, excitement, or a good story,” read the obituary.
“Andrew lived with energy, grit, and a big personality that made him unforgettable. He will be deeply missed by everyone who loved him.”
No obituary was posted for Affsprung and Hoffman’s obituary contained no details.
