Mexican Army Receives Beheaded Body Of Investigator In David Hartley Killing

The lead investigator in a high-profile murder case involving pirates on a Mexican border lake has been killed, his decapitated body delivered to the Mexican military in a suitcase.

Rolando Armando Flores Villegas, head of state investigators in the border city of Ciudad Miguel Aleman, had been investigating the death of David Michael Hartley. Hartley, a Colorado native, is believed to have been shot by pirates while jetskiing on the Mexican side of Falcon Lake near Laredo, Texas.

The incident gained exposure after Texas Governor Rick Perry publicly pressured the Mexican government to step up efforts to find Hartley's body and his killers.

Late last week, the Mexican government announced it was stepping up its efforts in the investigation.

The AP reported at the time that the investigation would likely be complicated by regional gang wars between the Gulf Cartel and the Zeta drug gang, made up of former Mexican special forces soldiers.

On Tuesday, Texas state Rep. Aaron Peña tweeted that he had confirmation that Flores's body had been recovered. Zapata County, Texas Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez confirmed the account to KRVG TV. Ruben Rios, spokesman for the Tamaulipas state prosecutor's office told the AP that it was not yet clear "how or why he was killed. We don't have any details on how he died."