NM NM - Velda Leyba, 39, Albuquerque, 6 December 1992

[Sleuth91]

Velda Leyba
NamUs

Image source

Demographics
Missing Age: 39 Years
Current Age: 67 Years
First Name: Velda
Middle Name: --
Last Name: Leyba
Nickname/Alias: --
Sex: Female
Height: 5' 0" (60 Inches)
Weight: 110 - 115 lbs
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Circumstances
Date of Last Contact: December 6, 1992
NamUs Case Created: August 15, 2011
Last Known Location Map
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
County: Bernalillo County
Missing From Tribal Land: --
Primary Residence on Tribal Land: --
Circumstances of Disappearance: Velda was scheduled to meet at her daughter's residence on 12/06/1992 but never arrived.

Physical Description
Hair Color: Blond/Strawberry
Head Hair Description: Medium length; Tinted blonde
Left Eye Color: Brown
Right Eye Color: Brown

Distinctive Physical Features
Scar/mark: Deep scar on corner of left eye

Clothing and Accessories
No Information Entered

Transportation
Comments: Vehicle has since been located.

3 Unidentified Person Exclusions
NamUs Case # | Date Body Found | Location Body Found
UP12683 | 06/06/2014 | Newport News, VA
UP6279 | 12/18/1996 | Fairfax, VA
UP6279 | 12/18/1996 | Fairfax, VA

Investigating Agency
Albuquerque Police Department
Address: 400 Roma Avenue NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102
County: Bernalillo County
Main Phone: (505) 768-2020
Website URL: Police — City of Albuquerque
Agency Case Number: 93-35439
Date Reported: July 1, 2011
Investigator: Heather Chavez, Detective

Case Contributor
Heather Chavez, Law Enforcement

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Although many years have passed, I hope that Velda will be located for the sake of her family. The information on her Charley Project page (below) is just so tragic and my heart goes out to her and her family.

Velda Leyba – The Charley Project

Missing Since: 12/06/1992
Missing From: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Classification: Endangered Missing
Sex: Female
Race: White
Age: 39 years old
Height and Weight: 5'0, 115 pounds

Clothing/Jewelry Description
A brown jacket and tan pants.

Medical Conditions
Leyba has a history of drug abuse.

Distinguishing Characteristics
Caucasian female. Blonde hair, brown eyes. Leyba has a deep scar at the corner of her left eye. Her ears are pierced.

Details of Disappearance
Leyba was last seen in Albuquerque, New Mexico at 8:30 p.m. on December 6, 1992, her daughter's birthday. Leyba called her daughter to say she was leaving a friend's house in the South Valley area and would be arriving at her daughter's home to celebrate. She never arrived and has never been heard from again.

Leyba was driving a light blue 1987 Chrysler LeBaron at the time of her disappearance. On February 25, 1993, almost three months after she was last seen, the car was found abandoned in the vicinity of the 7200 Isleta southwest, near Interstate 25. Leyda's personal belongings, including her purse, were inside it.

The police refused to accept a formal missing persons report until after her car was located.

Leyba was last seen at a house on Wheeler southeast, near Gibson and Interstate 25. Another woman, Lisa Duncan, disappeared from the same house five months later and her body was found in October 1993. Her murder remains unsolved.

Although a police detective noticed blood on the carpeting, the house wasn't searched until 2011, nearly twenty years after the women vanished, when a confidential informant told authorities both women had been killed there. The current owner, who didn't live there at the time Leyba and Duncan vanished, hadn't changed the carpet in the meantime and investigators hope to recover enough blood evidence to test for DNA.

Leyba became addicted to drugs after her nine-year-old daughter died in an accident, but it's unclear whether drugs were a factor in her disappearance.

Foul play is suspected in her case; authorities believe she was murdered.

Investigating Agency
Albuquerque Police Department 505-553-1823

 

[Luckyzmom]

Dang, prayers for the families of these Lady's. TYSM

 

[Rojofox]

I was just looking at UP#6086. Thoughts on her possibly being Velda?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I was just looking at UP#6086. Thoughts on her possibly being Velda?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

My thought is surely they considered Velda in this case. Do you have an account on NamUs to view the Rule-outs? I do not, but perhaps she'll be listed there, or we can ask someone with an account to check Rule-outs.

Both women in Albuquerque, both 5'0", time frame matches, age matches

IMO only.

 

[LasDesaparecidas]

It appears that the UP had dentures. I think that may rule Velda out.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

It appears that the UP had dentures. I think that may rule Velda out.

Welcome to Websleuths, @LasDesaparecidas.
Hopefully they had very up-to-date dental records for Velda. With dental work, I end up wondering if the person reporting someone missing would have known their dental details and if LE had the most recent records.

I think I'll try to find someone who can look up the Rule-outs list on NamUs for us. It won't be all of the Rule-outs (won't show automatic R.O.s) but will still be helpful IMO...

 

[LasDesaparecidas]

I can look up ruleouts… I think. I’ll try tonight.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

@Suglo @carbuff This is the thread. Any new Rule-outs since the 3 listed at the top of the thread in 2020? Thanks.

 

[Suglo]

@Suglo @carbuff This is the thread. Any new Rule-outs since the 3 listed at the top of the thread in 2020? Thanks.

I just checked. There are only the same 3 rule outs listed, unfortunately. The last two are the same so only two rule outs in actuality. They are:

UP12683 - 06/06/2014 - Newport News - VA

UP6279 - 12/18/1996 - Fairfax - VA

UP6279 - 12/18/1996 - Fairfax - VA

 

[carbuff]

Thanks for calling my attention to this sad case.

I think you should submit #6086. She's likely not Velda because of the denture, but we've seen so many cases where the public information doesn't list important facts. And it's pretty clear that there wasn't any serious investigation before 2011, so a UID from 1994 might easily have been overlooked.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Velda's case is due for a bump up. Did anyone ever submit #6086? Does it still show no (known) comparison?
I don't feel comfortable submitting it myself, but I do want to say that Velda's case is not forgotten.

 

[Pennysmom1]

New Mexico Missing Persons

3894DFNM - Velda Leyba

 

[Pennysmom1]

Very sad, nothing new or updated for information that I can find. Bumping.