In early October, the Daily Record reported on the discovery of human skeletal remains by a railroad engineer. The deceased individual has now been identified.

Commander Pete Qui ñones of the Artesia Police Department provided the following information via email Wednesday afternoon:

The Artesia Police Department has identified the human skeletal remains discovered on September 29, 2025, near the train tracks in the area of 300 N. 1st Street.

The remains have been confirmed as belonging to John W. Littleton, born in 1972. Mr. Littleton, identified as a transient individual, was last seen alive following his release from the Eddy County Detention Center on May 31, 2022.

The official autopsy report is still pending, and detectives are continuing to work on determining the cause and mann

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