NM NM - Patty Pritz, 14, & Mattie Restine, 13, Carlsbad, 11 Aug 1961 - #1

[TOM BEYER]

On the evening of Friday, August 11, 1961, Mattie Catherine Restine (13) and Patty Sue Pritz (14) went missing as they walked home from the "The Beach" area of Carlsbad, New Mexico. 36 hours later, their bodies were found by two rabbit hunters 12 miles northwest of town by Rocky Arroyo which is near Highway 137. The two had been shot in the head and sexually assaulted. A full scale investigation involving the New Mexico State Police, the FBI, the Eddy County Sheriff's Office (ECSO), and the Carlsbad Police Department was launched. No arrests were made and eventually the case went cold.

In January 2003, Investigator Jim Estrada of ECSO reopened the case. The New Mexico Media was reporting in October of that year that the 42 year old murder mystery was about to be solved. But by 2005, Estrada had retired and the case went cold for a second time. Now 48 years later, it still remains unsolved.

Anne Restine Self of Stigler, Oklahoma was 10 years old at the time of her sister's homicide. Almost single-handedly, she has kept the case alive in the Carlsbad and New Mexico public media. She has pressured the ECSO to investigate four suspects (all deceased) which she thinks may be responsible for the crime. Ann would like the DNA which was extracted from the girls clothing to be compared to the suspects (some of whose family members are willing to provide samples).

The Mattie/Patty murders is one of the most troubling cold cases in the nation. It involves the abduction, rape, and murder of two young teenage girls. There are rumors of a cover-up by law enforcement due to the suspects being "connected" to community leaders. One of the deputies, Dan McGrew, investigating the case died suddenly shortly afterwards. It was ruled a suicide, but some information indicates his death was a homicide. Either way, at least three deaths are directly linked.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Thank You Tom for posting my sisters (Mattie Restine) unsolved murder case here on the Sleuth... I appreciate it very much.

Yes, It's been 48 yrs since Mattie and Patty were murdered in the Eddy County area...Carlsbad, NEw Mexico. To this day their killers have been unknown. But several suspects have come to light since 2003. But like Tom said...the Eddy County Sheriff's Dept, The FBI, and the New Mexico State Attorneys office have ignored requests by the families to continue the investigation. DNA was found on Mattie Restine and it was sent in for results...but the ECSO still sits and does nothing. The families of these suspects have all said they would help try and solve this by giving their DNA sample to compare. But this hasn't been done yet. Why?? Good question.

Mattie and Patty were two beautiful young girls that should have come home that evening...but they didn't. It's up to the families to carry on this quest for Justice. Mattie and Patty deserve to have their day in court...they deserve to have the ones that killed them known.

Mattie had just turned 13 yrs. old on August 9, and this was her first outing as a teenager. Our parent's ususally didn't allow any of us out without an adult present. I remember the day she left and didn't come home. Our world changed that night and has never been the same. Our mother...Jackie Restine died at the age of 55 yrs. of a heart attack...my oldest brother Bill had problems with Mattie being murder his whole life...he committed suicide in 1999, at the age of 56. He would talk about the times he couldn't do anything to bring her back...see he introduced Mattie to Patty. They had only been friends for about three weeks when they were killed.
Our family didn't know Patty Pritz had been dating for several yrs. when Mattie became friends with her. That day...when the girls went to the Beach area they were suppose to been going with Patty's older sister...but that didn't happen...they went alone...and didn't return home alive.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

I would like to ask that if anyone has any information to please contact me here on this website. I would love to hear from anyone that has information. You never know...sometimes the smallest amount of information just might solve a case...so please tell what you know or remember...it just might help...again thanks Tom for starting this forum for Mattie Restine and Patty Sue Pritz.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

The two rabbit hunters statements when the girls were killed.
These two men were: Willie Dee Blair and Bill Melton.
Police reports:

Sunday, August 13, 1961, had interview with subject Willie Dee Blair, 2412 W. Texas St., Carlsbad, New Mexico, age 43, who was one of two subjects finding bodies of girls. Subject gave written signed statement, to-wit:

STATEMENT OF WILLIE DEE BLAIR
August 11, 1961, my wife was working from 7 am to 3 pm, I picked her up at work and then went home. About 5 pm, Mr. Hughes and his wife , who lives at 804 Legion Ave. Carlsbad, came by and wanted us to go fishing with them. We fished with them quite often. We got ready and left about sundown. We went to Mr. Hardesty's Ranch, paid him $1.00 to cross his land. We went to the river and fished till approx. 9 pm. We then went back to my house where we sat around and talked till about 10 pm. Mr. Hughes and wife then left and we went to bed. We did not go anywhere.

August 13, 1961, about 8 am, Bill Melton came by and wanted me to go fishing. We left about 9:30 am went north on Artesia Highway. We turned off before coming to Sitting Bull Falls Road and went back to a ranch. Bill said it was the Cox Ranch. Cox wasn't home. We went on by his house on down where there was some water holes and fished and shot turtles till a little after 12 noon. We then went to the filling station at Sitting Bull Falls Road and I drank a 7 Up. Bill then said he wanted to show me where there was a lot of rabbits. We had just one gun a 22 L.R. single shot which was mine. We turned on this road and Bill shot 3 rabbits. I thought I saw something red on my right and I told Bill to stop. I thought it looked like someone lying down. He backed up and pulled off the road and went out there and I saw the body. I just saw the one with the red shorts--we did not come to a stop. Bill said there was another body there--but I didn't see it.
We returned to the filling station to phone --but they didn't have a phone. We came on to Carlsbad and stopped at the North Y and called the Carlsbad Police Dept. 4 Officers came by and picked us up and we took them to the scene. We weere in Bill's care I believe a 1956 Ford and he drove all the time.

I read this statement and it is true and correct t the best of my knowledge.

Willie Dee Blair....August 13, 1961 5:30 P.M.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Information Regarding Willie Dee Blair's Orginal Statement:

Monday, August 14, 1961. It was found that Mr. Willie Dee Blair had been investigated sometime last year with reference to molesting a couple of 10-year old girls. No charges were filed because of insufficient evidence. Subject: Blair, was interviewed again and he gave same statement as previously except for Friday, August 11, 1961, alibi. He stated he had it mixed up with Thursday, August 10.

NEW STATEMENT: Friday, August 11, 1961, his wife did not work and he worked on his boy's car from about 11 am until approximately 4 pm. He had then gone to Mr. & Mrs. Hughes home on Legion Avenue and they decided to go fishing together. Same statement as previously taken from 5 pm on. Checked with Mr. & Mrs. Hughes and they gave same statement as Mr. Blair. However, molesting investigation on Mr. Blair showed Mr. & Mrs. Hughes gave alibi then also. Blair and Hughes are lifetime friends. Mr. Blair stated he would take Polygraph examination with reference this case.
Subject Blair wear size 7 1/2 shoe.

I ( Anne Restine Self) would like to note here that Mr. Willie Dee Blair NEVER did take a Polygraph test. The law enforcement officers could never catch up to Blair to take him in for the test. This is noted in the police reports several times.)

 

[Sunshine 1950]

STATEMENT OF WILLARD ( BILL) MELTON
JANUARY 25, 1962, Interviewed subject: who is one of the hunters who found the victims. Interviewed him for about two hours, reference previous statement. Asked if subject would take a Polygraph examination. Said he would think it over and would let us know; said he did not want to miss a day off from work and he certainly did not want to spend his day off taking a test. Subject will be contracted reference taking test at later date.

NOTE: This subject NEVER took a POLYGRAPH TEST...(Anne Restine Self)

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Police Report: January 26, 1962

Went to the home of Willie Dee Blair, 2412 W. Texas, St. Trying to pick him up for Polygraph Examination...not available. Second time to visit his home.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Eddy County Sheriff's Department, Carlsbad, New Mexico
Mattie Catherine and Patty Sue Pritz/Murder Case was re-opened by the Eddy County Sheriff's Department in 2003

This information came from that investigation:

Investigator Estrada continued to seek information from the public that had been in the area at the time of the murders. One citizen that he met stated that he remembered the murders of the two young girls quite well. He stated that he worked at a local potash mine and the Bill Melton (one of the men that found the girls bodies) worked there also. He stated that he remembered overhearing a conversation between Bill Melton and the shift foreman. According to this citizen, Mr. Melton had commented that on the day the girls were found was the first time he and Willie Blair ( the other man that found the bodies) had ever been hunting for anything. He stated that Melton had indicated that as they were driving down the road that he remembered that Blair from a good distance from where the girls were had started telling him to look over and that when he did he could not see what Blair was talking about. He stated (citizen) that Melton stated that it wasn't until they were almost up to the bodies that he saw one of the bodies and returned to town to call the police. He (citizen) stated that Mr. Melton had made mention that he felt like Blair knew the bodies were there before they had even gone to the site. The investgator asked if he (citizen) if he had ever conversed with Mr. Melton about what he had seen or done and he (citizen) stated that he hadn't for some reason which very well could have been that they were not on the same crew and shift.

 

[Lyn1001]

How far is the beach area from the river that Mr. Blair was supposed to be fishing at on the night of August 11?

 

[Bobbi]

From every indication within these reports I am assuming that Willie Blair is the murderer. If he is deceased perhaps the FBI (within the Eddy Cty. jurisdiction) can obtain some sort of his personal posessions for DNA testing.

Anne, I am remembering the white Ford car with the broken front grill that was seen in the area, did Willie Blair drive a car like that and would it be in a report somewhere?

 

[thefragile7393]

STATEMENT OF WILLARD ( BILL) MELTON
JANUARY 25, 1962, Interviewed subject: who is one of the hunters who found the victims. Interviewed him for about two hours, reference previous statement. Asked if subject would take a Polygraph examination. Said he would think it over and would let us know; said he did not want to miss a day off from work and he certainly did not want to spend his day off taking a test. Subject will be contracted reference taking test at later date.

NOTE: This subject NEVER took a POLYGRAPH TEST...(Anne Restine Self)

Bolding by me. What kind of answer is that?!?!? That statement alone sure speaks volumes to me!

 

[Sunshine 1950]

I'm not sure...but I can only guess. It probably was the PEcos River...which is what the Beach area really was ...the PEcos River. Good question....might ask around...but might not get answers either.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

the fragile....that is what I thought as well. I'm Mattie's sister and when I read that it made me MAD...and especially since it had been 6 months since the girls were killed. But I guess it didn't bother the law enforcement people because they sure didn't make either one of these guys come it for the test.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Bobbi I have asked the FBI to help me with this case and they told me...FBI Agent Art Gonzales out of Roswell, New Mexico, that the FBI DIDN"T have any JURISDICTION in Eddy County...now I just don't understand that at all....can anyone explain that one to me?

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Bobbi I don't know about Willie Blairs cars...I know he owned two...and his son David Blair had one as well.
I'm going to post about David Blair...tomorrow...this just get thicker...the Blair involvement....

 

[Lyn1001]

Bobbi I have asked the FBI to help me with this case and they told me...FBI Agent Art Gonzales out of Roswell, New Mexico, that the FBI DIDN"T have any JURISDICTION in Eddy County...now I just don't understand that at all....can anyone explain that one to me?

I believe, and I very well may be wrong, but I believe that unless a crime crosses state borders or occurs on Federal land, the FBI has to be asked into an investigation by local LE. They do not have jurisdiction to just enter the investigation. Does that make sense?

Please, if I'm wrong, someone correct me!!

 

[Sunshine 1950]

The thing is when this murder happened in 1961...it was suppose to have been on Federal land. But when I asked him (Gonzales) about that he said it just doesn't happen that way...it depends on which grid it would fall into! I guess I'm just stupid because I could not understand a word he was saying...and I felt like he was trying to make me feel stupid...he sure didn't go out of his way to help me understand his statements ....

 

[TOM BEYER]

Jurisdictional disputes are very common in law enforcement and there are a multitude of different branches. FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshalls, Border Patrol, Tribal Police - and that's just the Feds! This country was slow to recognize serial killers because LE believes in its own backyard - "don't touch mine and I won't touch yours". LE often doesn't share information with other jurisdictions. That has changed some due to AFIS (American Fingerprint Identification) and CODIS (Combined DNA Identification System). All people who are arrested have their fingerprints logged into AFIS. That's true for all jails, except for a very few that are not "online". Only those arrested for major felonies have their DNA put into CODIS.

Fingerprint identification existed in 1961, but DNA was not developed until 1987when the British arrested and convicted Colin Pitchfork for the rape and murder of a 15 year old girl based on a DNA profile. The United Kingdom also invented fingerprint identification and video survelliance. DNA has advanced so they can even get a profile from degrated DNA. Since this murder involves sexual assault, they most certainly can get a DNA profile.

This crime is not forgotten and it will be solved.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Tom the Eddy County Sheriff's Department in Carlsbad, New Mexico has DNA from Mattie Restine. THey have had it since 2004. But they will not do anything with it...so why do they not do further testing? I just don't understand why they are refusing to do what is right about this case. Of course, I have accused them of trying to cover up the killers identity and other things...but that is why. They aren't concerned about this case being solved. Why??? Mattie and Patty deserve to have JUSTICE. They weren't animals needing to be killed...even animals have rights these days...so why not Mattie & Patty. The FBI, New Mexico State Police, Carlsbad City Police, and the Eddy County Sheriff's Department all worked on this case when it happen...so why not now? Sorry I'm being so critical here...but time is running out...the suspects that are left are in their late 70's and 80's....what are the ECSO waiting for?

 

[Sunshine 1950]

So TOm your saying that the current sheriff of Eddy County has to invite the FBI to help work this case, even though they were involved in the original investigation? That will never happen....believe me...I can't even get them to return my calls. So I doubt they will ask anyone for help on this.