A US man suspected of killing one person has admitted he actually murdered 15 others, including his estranged wife.
According to CNN, Sean Lannon admitted to the killings during a police interview over the death of Michael Dabkowski in New Jersey.
Lannon had been accused of beating Dabrowski to death with a hammer in his home in New Jersey. He was also charged with robbery.
During his court hearing prosecutor Alec Gutierrez explained to the court that after questioning began over the beating, Lannon soon admitted to the 15 murders in New Mexico.
"In this Mirandized statement, the defendant did admit to the instances in New Mexico that would be homicides in New Mexico," Gutierrez said.
"He admitted to the dismemberment of some of the individuals involved in those homicides. He admitted his efforts in an attempt to conceal evidence, I'll put it, in those homicides. And he admitted to killing a total of 16 people."
One of the 16 Lannon admitted to killing was his estranged wife Jennifer Lannon.
Police said they had planned to question him over four dismembered bodies discovered at a New Mexico airport - one of which had been identified as Jennifer - but no charges had yet been made in regards to the finding.
Police in New Mexico are now investigating three known victims in Lannon's home town of Grants.
Lannon hasn't testified and wasn't required to enter a plea. His defence lawyer argued he may have beat Dabrowski to death in self-defence, Lannon saying the hammer belonged to the victim who attacked him first.
His lawyer didn't dispute Lannon admitted to the other murders but objected to the inclusion of the information in the trial over Dabrowski's death.
