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Denair Murder Mystery: Who Killed Two People Found In Burned-Out Car In Orchard?

DENAIR (CBS13) — A murder mystery is unfolding near Turlock where two bodies were found inside a burned-out car in an orchard.

The charred remains were found by farmers off of East Monte Vista Avenue and have not been identified.

It's not the kind of thing that happens in Denair. Neighbors in the small community of about 4,000 east of Turlock admit they're having trouble sleeping at night.

In the eerie stillness of the remote Merced County street, there was a roadside memorial with no names. Just two crosses, fresh flowers, and lit candles.

The memorial is near where a grisly double murder was discovered. Detectives first believed at least one person died before discovering a second person in the burned-out shell of a car. The bodies were so badly burned, investigators will use dental records to identify them.

People in the small neighborhood about a mile from the orchard are especially on edge. Yovana Flores says in the hours after the car was discovered on Monday, someone tried to break into her family's home and other homes on her street.

"The ones that burned the car, they came over here and they knocked on my sister's window," she said. "We think they were coming over here to hide."

Investigators haven't arrested or identified any suspects.

As for the victims, detectives are said to be looking into missing persons reports for potential leads, but have released little about their progress.

A sheriff's spokesman first told CBS13 he hoped to have a significant update tonight, but later said detectives advised him there is no new information they can release.

For now, the double murder remains an unsettling mystery.

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