Leading police theory as three murdered women with disturbing similarities spark serial killer fears

Police have developed a theory about three murdered women whose bodies were found in the Mexican holiday resort of Puerto Vallarta, as they continue their investigations.

The first body was found on 10 May near Rancho El Pirulí in the Chimborazo area, five days later another woman's body was found at a roadside stop.

On 21 May the body of a third woman was found by a dirt road in the Parque Las Palmas neighbourhood, she had a distinctive tattoo of a woman with devil horns on the side of her neck which investigators are hoping will help identify her.

Local outlet NPV reported that some officials had suggested that there might be a serial killer at work in the resort town since the women appeared to be of similar ages and were partially undressed then dumped in isolated areas,

However, Reporte Diario has reported that the Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office has said preliminary investigations don't indicate the cases are related to each other.

The bodies of three women have been found in the Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta (Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP via Getty Images)

The investigators have been appealing for more information that might help their investigation, having noted that 'these efforts will allow us to establish whether or not there is any relationship between the cases'.

"At the moment, the preliminary information does not indicate that they are linked," they said in a statement.

Police have been concerned that nobody has come forward to claim the bodies of the women or provide information that could identify them, and one of the theories investigators are looking into is that the murders were committed somewhere other than Puerto Vallarta.

Investigators are exploring the possibility that the women were murdered in other locations and brought to the resort town where their bodies were then disposed of in the locations they were ultimately found.

Puerto Vallarta has been no stranger to violence this year, as in February a wave of cartel attacks swept over the town as part of the widespread retaliation for the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervante, known commonly as 'El Mencho'.

Police are looking into the possibility that the three women were murdered outside Puerto Vallarta and their bodies brought to the town (Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP via Getty Images)

El Mencho had been the boss of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) cartel before his death in an operation carried out with support from US intelligence.

After his death violent demonstrations across a wide area resulted in buses being burned and shops looted, while tourists were told to shelter in place and stay in their resorts to stat away from the violence.

Cartel members attacked Mexican security forces and erected roadblocks to cause damage and disruption.

Now Puerto Vallarta has another dangerous matter to contend with, whether it be one killer or several and whether the murders are being carried out in the resort town or elsewhere and the bodies merely deposited there.