I personally feel like there were two individuals that killed the girls...I just can't see one guy controlling two teenage girls. Of course...neither girl was very big...but still....how would one man control two girls at the same time?
Sunshine, one man controlling two girls is easy enough to accomplish. All the man would have to do is put a knife to one girls throat or a gun to one girls head and tell the other not to move or he will kill her friend. He could even force one girl into the trunk while he dispatches the other girl. Sadly, there are definitely ways that a perp could pull this off alone.
Now, I want to discuss what you can do to get this case solved. I think that you are going to have to raise the profile of this case by taking it to a state and then possibly national level. You need to get some help by people in high places who can place pressure on the police to solve this case. A lot of times with cold cases, police feel like the person responsible is already dead or in prison so there's no point in wasting money working on the case. So they just let it go, which is grossly unfair to the families of the victims. What you need to do is to create a network of victim advocates for yourself who are in positions of power and CAN pressure the police to solve this case.
1. Start by writing a synopsis of the case and investigation - try to keep it to 1 page. First and last paragraph should be a plea for assistance in getting this case solved and information about how the police will not work with you. Include the information about the coverup. Attach copies of the police reports and various articles. Attach copies of information about various phone calls you have made to police and how they have and have NOT responded.
2. Send the letter to New Mexico's state governor's office, also to the state Congressman, Representative and Senator who would be over the area where the crime occurred. If you know folks from New Mexico, get them to sign a petition asking for help and attach the petition along with the letter and all the information.
http://www.ncsl.org/public/leglinks.cfm.
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cfm
3. Send the letter to Mark Klaas and and ask him for help in raising the profile of this case.
KlaasKids Foundation • P.O. Box 925, Sausalito, CA 94966
Tel: (415) 331-6867 • Fax: (415) 331-5633 • Email: klaaskids@pacbell.net
4. Submit the case to America's most wanted:
America's Most Wanted
PO Box Crime TV
Washington DC 20016
http://www.amw.com/about_amw/faq.cfm#cases
5. Contact the Schmidt's and ask them for advice on how to raise awareness of this case - these are very nice people and more accessible than some others, so I think that you could get some excellent insights from them on what to do:
http://sos.lawrence.com/
For more information, please call Gene or Peggy Schmidt at 913-345-0362; or email to
sos@planetkc.com
6. Make appointments to meet with everyone you sent letters to in government and sit down with them and ask for their help. Explain about the possible coverup.
7. Finally, if you don't get any response, go to the media. Make appointments with local TV stations and newspapers and tell them your story. Give out the names of EVERYONE who has ignored your pleas for help. Make yourself heard.
Basically, I'm telling you not to stop at police. Since they won't take your calls or help you, you are going to have to go to a higher authority and make a big stink about this situation until police are politically forced to take action.
This is the New Mexico Victim's rights bill which you can cite:
New Mexico
(1)The right to respect
A victim or the victim’s representative shall have the right to be treated with fairness and respect for the victim's dignity and privacy throughout the criminal justice process.
(2)The right to be informed
The right to notification of court proceedings
The right to information about the conviction, sentencing, imprisonment, escape or release of the accused
The right to have the prosecuting attorney notify the victim's employer, if requested by the victim, of the necessity of the victim's cooperation and testimony in a court proceeding that may necessitate the absence of the victim from work for good cause
(3)The right to be present
The right to attend all public court proceedings the accused has the right to attend
(4)The right to be heard
The right to confer with the prosecution;
(b) The right to make a statement to the court at sentencing and at any post-sentencing hearings for the accused;
Please refer to the State of Amendment for further information regarding the victims' rights.
Sec. 24. [Crime victims' rights.]
A. A victim of arson resulting in bodily injury, aggravated arson, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, dangerous use of explosives, negligent use of a deadly weapon, murder, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, kidnapping, criminal sexual penetration, criminal sexual contact of a minor, homicide by vehicle, great bodily injury by vehicle or abandonment or abuse of a child or that victim's representative shall have the following rights as provided by law:
The right to be treated with fairness and respect for the victim's dignity and privacy throughout the criminal justice process;
The right to timely disposition of the case;
The right to be reasonably protected from the accused throughout the criminal justice process;
The right to notification of court proceedings;
The right to attend all public court proceedings the accused has the right to attend;
The right to confer with the prosecution;
The right to make a statement to the court at sentencing and at any post-sentencing hearings for the accused;
The right to restitution from the person convicted of the criminal conduct that caused the victim's loss or injury;
The right to information about the conviction, sentencing, imprisonment, escape or release of the accused;
The right to have the prosecuting attorney notify the victim's employer, if requested by the victim, of the necessity of the victim's cooperation and testimony in a court proceeding that may necessitate the absence of the victim from work for good cause; and
The right to promptly receive any property belonging to the victim that is being held for evidentiary purposes by a law enforcement agency or the prosecuting attorney, unless there are compelling evidentiary reasons for retention of the victim's property.
B. A person accused or convicted of a crime against a victim shall have no standing to object to any failure by any person to comply with the provisions of Subsection A of Section 24 of Article 2 of the constitution of New Mexico. C. The provisions of this amendment shall not take effect until the legislature enacts laws to implement this amendment.
