Suspect in 4 Albuquerque murders claims he’s killed 15 people in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico -- A man suspected in the death of his ex-wife and three others in Albuquerque and who was extradited to New Jersey last week for a separate murder charge claimed in court Friday that he killed as many as 15 people in New Mexico.

Sean Lannon, 47, has been charged with the murder of a man in East Greenwich, New Jersey, and had a preliminary hearing on that case in local court. At that arraignment, he admitted to killing 15 people in New Mexico in addition to the New Jersey man.

Lannon was arrested last week in St. Louis after a manhunt stretching from New Jersey to Missouri. He was taken into custody allegedly driving a car stolen from the New Jersey victim, Michael Dabkowski.

Lannon appeared in court via video. His claims of 15 slayings were not immediately verifiable, prosecutors said.

He is accused of breaking into the 66-year-old Dabkowski’s home and beating him with a blunt object on March 8, according to an affidavit. Lannon said at the hearing Friday that he used a hammer.

Officers performing a well-being check found Dabkowski’s body, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Authorities last week said a vehicle was discovered at the Albuquerque International Sunport garage with four bodies later identified as Jennifer Lannon, 39, Matthew Miller, 21, Jesten Mata, 40, and Randal Apostalon, 60.

Sean Lannon lived 80 miles away in Grants, New Mexico.