Colorado authorities have identified the remains of a John Doe as a man who disappeared more than two years ago.
Santino Cardella, 22, was reported missing in April 2022, with the Colorado Springs Police Department saying “foul play” may have been involved.
In 2024, Colorado Springs police were tipped off about possible remains in nearby Pueblo, Colo., in connection with the investigation.
The remains have been determined to be Cardella’s, the department said in a statement this week.
Cardella’s disappearance may have been linked to a suspect in three other murders, Colorado Springs detective Nicole Black said in 2022, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Only one of those accusations has resulted in a conviction: in August, Deka Simmons was convicted of first degree murder for the 2022 killing of Daxcimo Ceja.
Simmons was charged in Ceja’s murder in April 2022, the same time as Cardella’s disappearance. Ceja’s body was found in a suitcase within a culvert in October 2023; prosecutors said Simmons killed Ceja in a garage after learning he had a relationship with a minor when he was an adult.
A representative with the Colorado Springs police declined to comment on allegations of Simmons being potentially linked to Cardella’s killing, citing the ongoing investigation.
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The defense attorney who represented Simmons in her trial for Ceja’s murder did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Cardella’s cause of death has not yet been determined, but Colorado Springs police said they are treating it as a homicide.
Anyone with information or who was a witness to this incident is urged to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719) 444-7000. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.
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