CNMI Police investigating Rios case as homicide

67-year-old Jesus P. Rios, who was last seen on Feb. 5, was found dead on Saturday. 

Rios’ body was found across Happy Market Store in As Lito on Saipan near a residential compound, just 100 yards away from his home.

A resident in the compound was cleaning his yard when he smelled an odor.

Assistant Chief of Police Simon Manacop said, “So later on in the morning he decides to go and check on the two goats that they own…thinking that one of them had died. And as he did the search that is when he came across the body.”

 

As KUAM News reported, authorities say that Rios was last seen by a family member on February 5 around noon before he went outside his Finasisu home along Feddos Lane to smoke. 

Police say because of the state of decomposition of Rios’ body, investigators are not able to determine if there was foul play. As they wait for an official autopsy, authorities are approaching the case as a homicide.

“It is being treated with priority. The case is being prioritized. It is being treated as a homicide until such time we prove that it is not,” said Manacop.

KUAM asked, "What would you say to the public who are curious of why the search did not locate him sooner?"

Manacop said, “That is a question that I have not asked about or inquired. I just can’t answer…we do not have an answer for that right now…We send our thoughts and prayers to the family…but we can assure them that we are doing our best to find out what happened.”