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'Speed Freak Killer' Adamant FBI Digging In Wrong Place For Victim Remains

LINDEN (CBS13) - The public hears for the first time from "Speed Freak Killer" Wesley Shermantine about the FBI's latest dig for victims' remains.

The death row inmate allowed his phone call with a former FBI agent to be recorded. Now that conversation is being shared only with CBS13.

Ever since the FBI picked its current digging spot, people close to the case wanted to know why, because Shermantine says he never pointed it out.

"I told them, 'You know, it may not be right on that spot to back track, but never to go forward and way off the grid,' " Shermantine said in the recording.

The recording was made during a phone conversation with private investigator Rob Dick. It's the first time anyone has heard Shermantine's voice since May 16, 2001 -- the day he was sentenced to death.

Shermantine and Dick speak weekly. Dick recorded a recent call where the convicted killer is adamant the FBI is searching for victims in the wrong spot.

"They are digging about 200, 250 yards beyond that, and, uh, I don't understand why. I told them from the little bridge to the guard rails and a (inaudible) that runs underneath the road to from there back to the trees is where he has his one killing ground in spots where he would bury people," Shermantine said.

Shermantine is referring to Loren Herzog, his partner in the killings through the 1980s and '90s. Herzog killed himself in January 2012. Since then, Shermatine has been drawing maps and writing letters about possible locations for more victims.

In August, the FBI took Shermantine from death row to Linden to point out burial sites.

"According to him, he has no information that anything should be recovered from there," said Dick.

But even after 11 years behind bars, Shermantine still won't admit he killed anyone.

"The other section of fields, and stuff, was too hard for him to get into because it was all fenced in. There was no gates into it," Shermantine said.

So far, through Shermantine's information, investigators have recovered five victims and an unborn baby. He's been right, the majority of the time.

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