New England authorities are not sharing “enough” information to quash speculation about a serial killer following the recent discoveries of 12 sets of human remains between March and April, according to former FBI instructor and certified police instructor Scott Duffey.

The discoveries of 12 human remains in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts between March and April, with few details from police as to how the 12 victims died, have prompted rumors of a serial killer online. 

“From what I’ve seen or heard, first and foremost, not enough is being put out there, so we’ll continue to create that serial killer idea,” Duffey said of social media sleuths. “But at the same time, nothing has been said to make any type of connection [between victims]. And so that’s what leads me down to … let law enforcement continue to answer the questions that they need to answer. But nothing that I have seen would arise to a serial killer [being] responsible for any or most of these people who have been found.”

The former FBI investigator, who is originally from Norwalk, said that after looking into what information was available about the 12 deaths, he reassured his family of his belief that there is not a serial killer roaming New England.

Duffey believes police in the area who are called to respond to suspicious deaths will have their eye on the Facebook page and related social media discussions.

“The mystery is definitely a hook,” he said. “And just like anybody else, I’m waiting for more and more answers to come out. But also, I think with what has come out, I feel strongly that it is just that – a set of circumstances that caught a social media whirlwind – and now law enforcement has to kind of temper it down with evidence and information coming from credible sources.”

The Facebook group has garnered nearly 20,000 new members over the last month. Searches for “New England serial killer” on Google spiked around April 7, according to data from the search engine.