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

[Pecos45]

Sunshine, I think you've got a healthy and realistic attitude and expectations about this case. As I said, who knows what forensic tricks LE will pull out of the bag in the coming years.

It was a coward who committed this crime and that coward has been afraid of discovery every day of his life since. He took the lives of Patty and Mattie but it cost him his own as well. It's surely eaten on him like a slow cancer ever since. If the killer is dead, as I suspect he already is, you can bet that death was almost a relief. But he's not done even yet. The worst is yet to come.

Victory comes in different flavors and you've already won. Dead or alive the killer has always known you were out there pursuing.

The death of these two girls has touched the lives of all and I think each of us have been changed in some way. How many young girls in southern New Mexico simply lived more carefully and took their parent's warnings more seriously? Different flavor victories. And there are others...some perhaps we don't even know about

 

[Sunshine 1950]

SS1950, you are an incredible person. I do not want you to give up by any means, nor do I think this case is unsolvable. Maybe I worded my last post incorrectly to give you that impression. If so, I'm sorry. I wanted to know if the board could be tasked with this type of undertaking and if there would be participation from others and a go ahead from you, even if we weren't able to get the exact answers you are looking for in this go round. But, it is certainly not my place to ask you to give up on something that is so very near and dear to you.

My thought is that law enforcement will not take the time to read through this entire board, so if we could summarize the lingering questions and the key points of this case, they would have a better understanding of what the families (and this board) are requesting of them. Sometimes people ask, "What do you want us to do?" Well, this will be a concise list of exactly that.

I'm not saying you can't do this yourself either, just thought you might like a little help. So, chin up, this will be a good thing! We're not going anywhere - we have work to do. Besides, we'll have much more to talk about when the real police work on this case actually gets started and other authorities within the State of New Mexico begin to take notice.

We'll also hope that Tigi will be able to provide additional details once she has had the opportunity to review her father's belongings relevant to the crime.

I would never ask you to give up. That would be like asking the sun not to shine, Sunshine. Faith is a remarkable thing - it can move mountains, you know!

Well, I say let's get going on this list then!:dance:
I've just about finished my letters...now to mail them.

 

[Legacy]

Sounds good! Unfortunately, I'm going to have to take a couple of days off to take care of some other commitments, but I'll work "overtime" when I get back! If you want to start without me, I'll catch up...if not, we can start on Thursday. Sorry to have to do this. Life gets in the way of our "druthers" sometimes.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Sounds good! Unfortunately, I'm going to have to take a couple of days off to take care of some other commitments, but I'll work "overtime" when I get back! If you want to start without me, I'll catch up...if not, we can start on Thursday. Sorry to have to do this. Life gets in the way of our "druthers" sometimes.

Legacy I have some of those days coming up too. We will pick back up when we can....thanks.

 

[Bobbi]

This is a link to another cold case that was solved, it was on the local news last night in Albuquerque:
http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/on_ass...tence_solves_1975_murder_mystery_200911102324

There is still hope for SS1950's case to be solved and I believe it will be.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

This is a link to another cold case that was solved, it was on the local news last night in Albuquerque:
http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/on_ass...tence_solves_1975_murder_mystery_200911102324

There is still hope for SS1950's case to be solved and I believe it will be.

Bobbi thanks for the pick me up post...I appreciate all that you people have and continue to do for this case. I haven't given up...just a little tired. But I will bounce back. Thanks:dance:

 

[Sunshine 1950]

This is a link to another cold case that was solved, it was on the local news last night in Albuquerque:
http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/on_ass...tence_solves_1975_murder_mystery_200911102324

There is still hope for SS1950's case to be solved and I believe it will be.

Bobbi this is a great closure for this family....they can rest now and stop worrying about where their sister is. I read where this young girls sister always felt she was dead...but I bet there wasn't a day didn't go by... that she didn't think about her. Many thanks to the law enforcement agencies that didn't give up on this case. It only shows that they really care about the individuals and their families. Sad outcome...but now the family can rest and know they did all they could do to find her.

 

[Pecos45]

Real cops never forget. They just get overwhelmed.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Real cops never forget. They just get overwhelmed.

I'm sure that is true. I didn't mean this post as a slur to cops...I just think it's wonderful that this family has some closure...and that the case wasn't just shelved and forgotten.
I also know they are working on current cases as well and don't have much time for the old cases...but it would be great if they would work the old ones as well. I have been told by many investigators that this case is to old to solve...so I hope everyone can see where I'm coming from.

 

[Pecos45]

This case will never be old to you, Sunshine. So no explanation by you is ever needed. Don't worry about that. I am totally in sympathy with you. It just always helps so see every facet of a problem.

I was thinking about this crime last night and realized no one who worked on it could EVER forget it. Sadly almost everyone who did work on it is dead.

I also thought of a State Police Officer mentioned......Melvin Miller. I knew him, sort of. As I recall he was formerly a pro baseball player before joining the NMSPD. Not sure if he's still alive or not.

If so, I'm sure he would talk to you. I don't think he stayed with the SP very many years.

 

[Legacy]

I was wondering if you mailed your letters and if you've already indicated in them what you would like done as far as further investigation. If so, it might be a duplication of efforts if we work on a list, which undoubtedly could contain much of what you have already outlined. But, if not, we can sure get started any time. I'm still very busy, but can work this in during my "breaks."

I personally feel like the governor should assign someone from his staff to read this board. I could go through an entire printout, delete all the unnecessary words (but which ones are those?) and come up with a transcript of sorts, but some impact might be lost in such a translation. I'd like to believe Governor Bill Richardson himself would take the time to read this thread, if he was aware of it...this does involve the history and character of his state, after all.

Sunshine, I noted you said you were tired...another option is to take the upcoming holidays at a reduced pace, see if anyone with new ideas or information posts and resume after the first of the year with the detailed list after having time to wait for the response from the letters you just mailed. I imagine it took quite a bit out of you to write those letters. Of course, everything is up to you. I am at your service.

In the meantime or during the process, I'm most anxious to see what happens with Tigi's review of her father's investigative files on the case and if they might reveal anything new.

I will do whatever is needed, so just let me know your thoughts.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

I was wondering if you mailed your letters and if you've already indicated in them what you would like done as far as further investigation. If so, it might be a duplication of efforts if we work on a list, which undoubtedly could contain much of what you have already outlined. But, if not, we can sure get started any time. I'm still very busy, but can work this in during my "breaks."

I personally feel like the governor should assign someone from his staff to read this board. I could go through an entire printout, delete all the unnecessary words (but which ones are those?) and come up with a transcript of sorts, but some impact might be lost in such a translation. I'd like to believe Governor Bill Richardson himself would take the time to read this thread, if he was aware of it...this does involve the history and character of his state, after all.

Sunshine, I noted you said you were tired...another option is to take the upcoming holidays at a reduced pace, see if anyone with new ideas or information posts and resume after the first of the year with the detailed list after having time to wait for the response from the letters you just mailed. I imagine it took quite a bit out of you to write those letters. Of course, everything is up to you. I am at your service.

In the meantime or during the process, I'm most anxious to see what happens with Tigi's review of her father's investigative files on the case and if they might reveal anything new.

I will do whatever is needed, so just let me know your thoughts.

Thanks Legacy. I have mailed my letters. So right now it will be a wait and see period. I did not put the time line of events in the letters. Mainly explained where all this started and where we are now. So...yes...I think we still need to make the list of what should come next. I'm sure everyone is going to be busy this time of year...with the holidays coming up. So I will not be offended if we take this slow. Just know I appreciate all that you people have done for me and this case.

I do hope that Tigi reviews her father's files and let's us know what her findings are. Maybe she could call the Eddy County Sheriff's Office and talk with Investigator Sillas about what she knows or what she has found in the files. That would certainly help with the case.

 

[TOM BEYER]

This is Mattie's Marker.

 

[TOM BEYER]

These are along the Rocky Arroyo Road.

 

[TOM BEYER]

As you can see, the road to where the bodies were found is very rocky. It's best to bring one with high clearance.

 

[TOM BEYER]

If I understood Fish1966 correctly, the rides were to the right. None of them exist anymore.

 

[TOM BEYER]

The crosses constructed and erected by Ernesto Torres are beautiful, strong, and permament. He did a fantastic job.

 

[Pecos45]

Tom, you went to a lot of trouble for us all with these pics. Bless you for it and no that isn't a good road for your Civic unless you've got a spare oil pan and transmission.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[TOM BEYER]

These show the very rocky, rough ground near the body site.

 

[tabikat76]

I was hesitant to post this because of the family names mentioned; however, since at this point we're only looking at the possibility of Nichols being involved based on information given by his family, and with this being taken from a public source of information (Big Spring Herald Newspaper TX 14 Jan 1963 Page 2A), I don't know that any expectation of privacy would exist. What is important to the investigation is the information involving the names and whereabouts of his children at the time of his death, which occurred about seventeen months after the girls' murders.

I have wondered if additional crimes could be tied in with the other locations that his children lived and he might have visited, as his family has indicated that they believe he could have committed this double homicide while visiting a daughter in Carlsbad. Perhaps, if he is further implicated, it was his M.O. to go on killing sprees while out of town, thinking he would have less chance of being caught. And possibly the only way he could go on out of town trips was to stay with family members - maybe for economic reasons alone. It has been said that he traveled from place to place and lived with various family members...

I do think this should be added to the LE "case file" for this investigation, and that you should have it as well, SS1950.

I have been reading all of the threads for days! You guys have so much info!

But what I am wondering is this, has anyone laid out a map and marked where all of the unsolved murders from this time frame took place? I am speaking of the 8 that Tom I believe referred to earlier?

I am just curious as to where they all fall into place on a map, if the bodies were found along highways that run from east to west, north to south.