Investigators from both the FBI and the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office gave few details about her death during a news conference Wednesday afternoon, other than to say she was found in the river in Española. They also declined to take questions about her disappearance and cause of death, saying they wanted to give her family time to grieve.
But FBI Special Agent James Langenberg indicated a suspect might be at large, telling the assembly: “The investigation has not stopped. We will continue to work until we can identify the responsible party.”
Maj. Randy Sanches, spokesman for the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office, echoed that thought. In an email after the news conference, he said, “It is fair to say we are now changing the focus of our ongoing investigation to find the person or persons responsible in this tragedy.”
Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan previously had said investigators do not believe the girl’s disappearance involved her parents. A man who has a relationship with Renezmae’s mother, Victoria Maestas, has been identified as a person of interest in the case.
Española girl’s body found in Rio Grande