NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A man suspected in a quadruple homicide in New Mexico claims he has killed several other victims. Prosecutors in New Jersey said Sean Lannon made the claim after being arrested for another murder in that state.

Lannon said he killed a total of 16 people in multiple states, though a law enforcement official confirmed Sunday that he is the primary suspect in the killing of his ex-wife and three others found in a car in New Mexico.

The 47-year-old was arrested in St. Louis earlier this month after a manhunt stretching from New Jersey to Missouri ended when he was arrested driving a car stolen from the New Jersey victim. Lannon is accused of breaking into the home of a New Jersey man, Michael Dabkowski, and beating him to death with a blunt object, according to the Associated Press.

Law enforcement officials in New Mexico and in New Jersey are working with federal agents on the veracity of claims Sean Lannon provided during his confession, including that he killed 11 other people, the official said. The official, who had direct knowledge of the probe, could not discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Authorities said in court documents that Lannon made the admission in a phone call to a relative, who told investigators he expressed remorse.

Investigators are searching missing persons records and other police reports to try to identify any potential victims and determine if he was telling the truth during the confession, according to the official. The investigators are still reviewing electronic records, communications, surveillance video, and financial documents as part of the investigation and are working to try to track down additional witnesses in the case, the official said.

Law enforcement officials are also still trying to compile additional information to better understand why he was in St. Louis, where he was arrested on March 11, the official said. 

The bodies of Lannon’s ex-wife, Jennifer Lannon, and three other people were found on March 5 in a vehicle in a parking garage at Albuquerque International Sunport, New Mexico’s largest airport. It’s not clear how they were killed. The other victims were identified as Jesten Mata, Matthew Miller, and Randal Apostalon. Miller, Mata, and Jennifer Lannon were reported missing in New Mexico, while authorities are investigating the death of Apostalon and how he might have been connected to the other victims.

So far, Lannon has only been charged with Dabkowsk’s murder. In that case, the body was discovered on March 8 in his home just south of Philadelphia after a welfare check. An affidavit says he is accused of killing the 66-year-old with a hammer, according to an affidavit.

Lannon says he was sexually abused by Dabkowski as a child, and Lannon’s lawyer said his client was provoked.