NM - West Mesa Murders (2003-05)

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Something to keep in mind, I noticed while researching Michelle, there seems to be a trend in the drug of choice, that being heroin. Also in regards to addresses, it seems like most of these girls last known addresses weren't really where they stayed at. Michelle didn't go home often, actually her dad kept track of the days he would talk to her on a calendar. While her last known address may have been her dads house, she wasn't staying there. Anyone familiar with the "war zone"? Need to really research the war zone as it appears that's where all these ladies worked or at least frequented. Found this article, read the comments as well.

http://kunm.org/post/west-mesa-murders-case-changes-behavior-police-prostitutes


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JDauxa said:
Something to keep in mind, I noticed while researching Michelle, there seems to be a trend in the drug of choice, that being heroin. Also in regards to addresses, it seems like most of these girls last known addresses weren't really where they stayed at. Michelle didn't go home often, actually her dad kept track of the days he would talk to her on a calendar. While her last known address may have been her dads house, she wasn't staying there. Anyone familiar with the "war zone"? Need to really research the war zone as it appears that's where all these ladies worked or at least frequented. Found this article, read the comments as well.

http://kunm.org/post/west-mesa-murders-case-changes-behavior-police-prostitutes


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Click to expand...

I'm familiar with "the warzone". I had no business being down there or hanging out there, but in hs we would party down there 94-96. I will answer any questions you might have, if I can.
 
Was the "war zone" near downtown area? What is the closest major highway/freeway leading through that area? How did it become known as the war zone? War of Drugs? War of Gangs? What streets are considered part of the war zone? How big of an area? What is the predominant demographics of that area from the mid 90's to late 2013?
I guess I could research most of this but any first hand info I find much more helpful, and provides better insight instead of just reading statistics from the web. Sorry to bombard you with all these questions! Thanks for answering whatever you can!


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JDauxa said:
Something to keep in mind, I noticed while researching Michelle, there seems to be a trend in the drug of choice, that being heroin. Also in regards to addresses, it seems like most of these girls last known addresses weren't really where they stayed at. Michelle didn't go home often, actually her dad kept track of the days he would talk to her on a calendar. While her last known address may have been her dads house, she wasn't staying there. Anyone familiar with the "war zone"? Need to really research the war zone as it appears that's where all these ladies worked or at least frequented. Found this article, read the comments as well.

http://kunm.org/post/west-mesa-murders-case-changes-behavior-police-prostitutes


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Well, all-righty then! Interesting strange comments in article comment section.

I did find it interesting that Belen was being suggested as a possible burial site. There are a couple still missing from there.
 
JDauxa,

Here we go,

Warzone is not near downtown at all.
Closet freeway would be I-40, catching it at central and tramway, Eubank and North of central.
Borders of warzone, imo, west of wyoming, south of central, east of San Pedro, and north of gibson. Many of the streets are named after states.
Lots of apartments, old apartments, duplexes, triplexes. Not modern apartment buildings. The area is old.

The warzone is lowest socio economic level. Lots of immigrants from all over. But the majority would be Cubans, Mexicans, and Vietnamese. A friend of my mom told us that a lot of the Cubans that Castro let out in the 80's came to Albuquerque and found housing in this area. Think section 8 housing, low income rentals. Same with the Vietnamese... A lot of the "boat people" settled in this area.
 
It's been called the warzone ever since I can rember. The demographics of the warzone are immigrants from all over central and South America. However, the majority is probably Mexican, Cuban, and Vietnemese. A friend of my mom once told us the reason there were so many Cubans in Albuquerque was because they were the Cubans that Castro purposely let out in the late 80's and they settled in Albuquerque. Not sure I believe him. A lot of "the boat people" from Vietnam settled in the war zone too. The socio-economic level. Very low rent, section 8, and lots of apartments but triplexes and duplexes...one story apartments...very old. Smaller, older houses...but definitely more apartments.
 
In the mid to late 90's, the Cubans and Mexican Mafia were always at war. From what I can remember, the Mexican Mafia was a gang who sold most of the cocaine in the area. The Cubans would buy it and "rock it up" turning it into crack. Cubans controlled the crack industry. The Mexicans controlled the Cocaine. When I say "Mexicans" I'm talking about guys who are not necessarily legally in the US. Or are first generation Mexican-American. New Mexico is weird, if we are of "Hispanic" decent we identify as being Hispanic or Spanish, not Mexican- american. I didn't relalize this, until I went to college at ASU. My grandma who is 90, still says "we are not Mexican". It's definitely, a New Mexico thing.
 
The warzone was full of drugs, murders, violence back when I lived in Albuquerque. In recent years, the city has tried to clean it up. Now this area is called the "international district" because of all the different cultures that have settled there but it's still bad, not as bad as in the 90's and early 2000's. Recently, the city installed "roundabouts" and changed some streets into one way streets. Not sure what year this happened, though. Before the era of the Internet, Craigslist, backpage, etc, prostitutes walked up and down central, between wyoming and Louisiana. Central had those "fine establishment motels" that you could rent for $25-$35 a night, no questions asked. A friend of mine is high school rented a room with her high school ID at 16. There was "adult stores", and liquor stores, and tons of eating places (different ethnic) up and down central. In fact, central ave. is old Route 66. The further west you go on central you will hit the University of New Mexico and Nob Hill area, which is nice and relatively safe. West of that is Downtown, where I-25 and I-40 meet.
 
One more thing...Kirkland Air Force base and Sandia National Labratory are realtively close to the war zone.

Forgot to add, the heroin industry is controlled by the gang, "Los Padillas". It's more of a criminal organization, then your typical street gang...think Italian mob family. If you guys are more interested in this, let me know.
 
the seeker said:
Not sure about Santa Clara...thats all it said.."Santa Clara".
The same source said that most of these places are within a 60 mile radius of Albuquerque. If thats true and our WMBC is still active, he may still be in Albuquerque. Wonder if hes a truck driver. BUT the fact that many knew each other (the deceased found on the WM) doesnt match with a trucker picking up random prostitutes....kwim?
Click to expand...

Santa Fe is within 50 miles, and Belen and Los Lunas are probably 20-30 minutes away. Grants is definitely further than 60 miles from Albuquerque, as is Alamagordo, Clovis, Chimayo, Sunland ParkLas Vegas, and Farmington.
 
Thank you Vegasdee! Good info, I haven't had a chance to really go through all that you provided but I will soon. May have a couple more questions. Thanks again!


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vegasdee said:
One more thing...Kirkland Air Force base and Sandia National Labratory are realtively close to the war zone.

Forgot to add, the heroin industry is controlled by the gang, "Los Padillas". It's more of a criminal organization, then your typical street gang...think Italian mob family. If you guys are more interested in this, let me know.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Im interested. Could be very relevant to what we are doing.
 
I love seeing all of the theories and information you're gathering to we can all work together to bring clues to the surface and make sure the case doesn't fall by the wayside. One of the best things about Websleuths for us is being able to interact with so many people with such varied experiences and having us work together for a very important common goal: justice for the victims.

Thank you and keep up the good work!
 
Just marking a spot so I can come in and get caught up over here. Willing to take direction if there's something specific that needs researched.
 
AJ turned out to be a pimp named named Donald Sears. Many believe/speculate that Nina Herron, Leah Peebles, Felipa Gonzales, Ana Vigil, Shawntel Waites, and Vanessa Reed will be found at a second burial site. Additionally, it is speculated that Lorenzo Montoya is the main poi. There is also another poi but that person has not been named.
 
I'm interested in the process of investigation which led to the guy from Joplin MO being seriously considered as the killer -- after all, this guy's no nobody, but rather something of an entrepreneurial savant, with several successful businesses. Not saying that that type can't also be deeply twisted; just wondering how they got the means to get the warrants to search properties 750+ miles away -- and also just how deep was their apparent knowledge. Luckily for himself he had the means to lawyer up and demand that LE put up or shut up -- which indeed they had to do, and exonerated him, dropping him from active consideration in the investigation.
 
wfgodot,
I believe Ron Erwin, the Joplin man, was initially looked at because of APD believing the murders were connected to the state fair. From what I read in news articles is Erwin was an amateur photog and he work take pics of the fair and just street people around the war zone area (close to fairgrounds). He came down for the fair for something like 7+ years. APD found the pictures of women who looked like they were asleep and/or passed out in their search of his business and residence.
 
vegasdee said:
wfgodot,
I believe Ron Erwin, the Joplin man, was initially looked at because of APD believing the murders were connected to the state fair. From what I read in news articles is Erwin was an amateur photog and he work take pics of the fair and just street people around the war zone area (close to fairgrounds). He came down for the fair for something like 7+ years. APD found the pictures of women who looked like they were asleep and/or passed out in their search of his business and residence.
Click to expand...
Yes, all so -- but what info (and there must have been some) lay beneath those surface facts? The women in question were thought to be -- and several looked -- dead. How did Erwin pop up on their radar in the first place? Because the guy looks like a harmless-enough dweeb, there to take pics of hot air ballooning.
 
I would speculate because Albuquerque is really a small city, that when he was taking his pictures of "the street life" along central, the war zone, etc. someone must've remembered him and told APD about an out of town "white man" who had been coming to town for years taking pictures during the time of the state fair.
 
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