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Authorities search field connected to Duplantier murders

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BATON ROUGE - Law enforcement agencies confirmed that information of a possible buried body at a Duplantier property sparked an hour-long search in Baton Rouge Thursday. 

Just before 6 p.m., Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said confirmed that someone told authorities that 42-year-old Ernesto Llerena Alonso had killed another person and buried the remains on the Duplantier where he lived. Gautreaux said that the only bones found at the scene appear to be animal bones.

Authorities said that the bones have been sent to the LSU FACES lab to confirm whether the bones are in fact animal bones. 

Sources told News 2 that an acquaintance of Alonso told Baton Rouge Police that Alonso killed someone else in Louisiana and buried them near the property. According to that source the acquaintance also told investigators Alonso murdered two other people in Mexico.

A number of marked and unmarked East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office vehicles, including their mobile command post, were seen at the property where Alonso lived between Tigerland and Brightside Drive. That property was owned by 71-year-old Denis and 70-year-old Suzanne Duplantier, whom Alonso is accused of kidnapping and murdering.

Baton Rouge Police said Duplantiers were found strangled in their stolen vehicle Tuesday in Hammond. Authorities said Alonso's pickup was spotted on surveillance video from the Duplantier's neighborhood following the couple's car Monday night. The Duplantier's family later reported them missing, and police said they found blood inside their home and safe opened with its content missing.

Investigators believe Alonso, who worked as a handyman for the Duplantiers and lived on their property, used his access to the home in order to kidnap the couple, kill them, and steal their money. He went before a judge in Florida Thursday morning for an initial appearance and will have a hearing later to determine if he will fight extradition back to Louisiana or not.

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