Persons of interest identified in deaths of New Hampshire couple found buried on Texas beach

Ashlee Burns and Alexandria Rodriguez, Corpus Christi Caller Times
Updated
Several state agencies conduct an investigation on Padre Island beach in Kleberg County near mile marker 263 after human remains where found on Monday, Oct. 28, 2019.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two persons of interest have been identified in the killings of James and Michelle Butler, a New Hampshire couple whose bodies were found buried on a Texas beach.

Kleberg County Sheriff's Office officials said at a Monday news conference that they continue to investigate the homicides and are still reviewing evidence.

The Butlers' silver 2018 Chevrolet 2500 four-door pickup with New Hampshire license plates was last seen crossing the border into Mexico, Lt. David Mendoza said.

A man and a woman shown in a photo released by authorities show the two inside a vehicle. The man in the driver's seat has gauged ears and tattoos. A woman is shown sitting in the passenger seat.

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It is unknown if more people were in the back of the vehicle.

Authorities said the couple was last seen Oct. 15 at Padre Balli County Park on the coast of Texas, which they left that day.

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Mendoza said authorities saw a Facebook post from Michelle Butler on Oct. 15 saying they had just arrived at their "new home" on the beach for a few weeks before heading out to Florida, Mendoza said.

The Butlers set up their truck and RV on Padre Island in Kleberg County later that day.

The couple was reported missing by family members the next day on Oct. 16.

A Kleberg County deputy found their bodies on Oct. 27 buried in a shallow grave on Padre Island.

The Butlers' cause of deaths are not being released, Mendoza said.

A makeshift memorial for James and Michelle Butler at mile marker 263 on Padre Island Beach was placed near where their bodies were found.
A makeshift memorial for James and Michelle Butler at mile marker 263 on Padre Island Beach was placed near where their bodies were found.

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Texas Department of Public Safety , U.S. Border Patrol and park rangers are among the agencies aiding in the investigation, Kleberg County District Attorney John Hubert said.

"At this point we just don't have enough evidence to show that they are even our suspects in the murder," Hubert said. "At this point they're just people we want to identify and talk to."

It is unknown how the persons of interest came into contact with the couple, but Hubert believes they may be from the area.

A motive for the killings is also unknown.

Follow Ashlee Burns and Alexandria Rodriguez on Twitter: @ashleevburns, @Caller_AR

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: James, Michelle Butler: NH couple dead, persons of interest identified