NM - West Mesa Murders (2003-05)

[Derek]

Such interesting posts in the last few hours. I'll be reading for a while. There was also mention of "cubans" in those posts by locals. A gang? I haven't sorted through or filtered through all of the posts yet, here and there.

I agree, that there very well could be a coverup. It could be co-incedental that the POI that LE had named is deceased, but it "feels" to convienent.

I just recalled this post and I found it interesting that "cubans" were brought up in topix posts early on in the investigation. Especially since a "Cuban" drug dealer known "Oscar" was suspected in the 1998 disappearance of Albuquerque teenager Teresa Reyes (as I brought up in my previous post). There was one poster who claimed that a Cuban known as "Omar" tried to take her to the "mountains" and kill her.

There's something rather interesting I discovered about Lorenzo Montoya which I don't think was brought up in this thread. The person who killed Montoya was a member of a gang known as the "Memphis Mob" named Frederick Williams. Oddly, that shooting was ruled as justifiable, although Williams was facing up to 18 years in another murder.

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/Memphis-Mob-member-sent-to-prison-dr

Some on topix were thinking that the Memphis Mob may have been responsible for the West Mesa murders. An Albuquerque Police Chief claimed that Mob didn't enter Albuquerque until 2006 but that was being disagreed with by some posters. A 2009 news article mentioned later on in this post said the Memphis Mob was operating in Albuquerque for several years. It was also being discussed that Montoya was involved but not the sole perpretrator, in fact the father of one of the victims believes that Montoya wasn't the only person involved.

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/new-lead-in-west-mesa-murders

Michelle Valdez was one of those missing prostitutes. Tuesday her father told News 13 he thinks Montoya wasn't acting alone.

“I don't think he was the mastermind,” Dan Valdez said. “I really think that he was possibly the gofer or the guy that took them out there and buried them, because he only lived a mile from there.”

Think about this possiblity for a second. Let's say that Montoya and the Memphis Mob were involved in the West Mesa murders. Frederick Williams knows that Montoya was involved and felt that Montoya going to prison for murder would have revealed the involvement of the Memphis Mob. What do you do when you wan't to silence a rat, you kill that person.

Then what if the Albuquerque PD knew about this but felt it would jeporadize the 2009 indictment against the Memphis Mob for other crimes.

The final point I have to make for now is that the Memphis Mob is believed to have associations to two Mexican Drug Cartels. Unless it can be debated overwise, it's believed that the drug trade Albuquerque and New Mexico around this time-period was run by the Juarez Drug Cartel and Juarez and Albuquerque are very close in distance. The Juarez Cartel was a significant reason for the murders of women in Juarez, it's possible that if the Memphis Mob killed the West Mesa women then they got the idea from the Juarez Cartel or were even assisted by Juarez Cartel members.

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/...ots_connect_45_gangsters_memphis_200904091930

 

[TheFemaleTonyStark]

This case has really fascinated me. I actually didn't know it occurred until I moved out of ABQ to Southern NM.

And it looks like we won't be getting any new leads anytime soon

 

[bessie]

I don't think these links have been posted. No news, I'm afraid, just a site to keep up with the case.

'West Mesa murders' website launched to yield tips

By Russell Contreras
Associated Press
Published: Friday, Jan. 6 2012 12:31 p.m. MST
Summary
Police have launched an Internet and public relations blitz in the hunt for a serial killer they believe killed 11 women outside Albuquerque in a mystery that has baffled investigators since the bodies turned up in mass graves nearly three years ago

Help Us Catch A Killer

A reward of up to $100,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this crime.

Anyone with information concerning the victims and/or potential suspects is asked to contact the 118th Street Task Force at 1-877-765-8273 -

 

[Merry]

I seem to recall in the early weeks of the West Mesa grave dig that some were suggesting that a gang who initiated members by killing women were involved. That wouldn't be a far-fetched possibility; one of the credible theories in the murders of women in Juarez, Mexico was that two violent gangs killed women to initiate members. Interestingly, Albuquerque and Juarez, Mexico are pretty close and the Juarez Drug Cartel controlled the drug trade in New Mexico for many years (according to drug war blogs).

I understand it's easy to pin this on Lorenzo Montoya, and that would make sense considering his violent history toward prostitutes. I should mention that three women did disappear in Albuquerque between 1998 and 2001 (before the West Mesa victims disappeared) and people connected to narcotics were believed to have been involved in their disappearances.

Teresa Reyes (17) (July 1, 1998): Mentally challenged girl who disappeared after presumably going to a party hosted by five young men.
A detective visited a business in 1999 where a caller claimed that a woman resembling Teresa had been seen near a motel with a Cuban drug dealer known as "Oscar". Authorities located a woman named Monica who was with Teresa and "Oscar" at the time of the sighting. Monica believed that Teresa was a prostitute who was working for "Oscar".
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/reyes_teresa.html


Betty Vigil Garcia (34) (December 25, 1998): Last seen at the Drift-In Lounge. Believed to have been in the company of two men that were involved in narcotics at the time of her disappearance.
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/g/garcia_betty.html


Darlene Marie Trujillo (20) (July 4, 2001): Last seen dropping off her son at his grandmother's residence. Darlene was accompined by a heroin dealer named "Jorge" at the time of her disappearance. "Jorge" returned to Albuquerque without Darlene a few weeks later. He told Darlene's aunt that he and Darlene did not go to Arizona like planned but to Tucumcari, New Mexico. Jorge claimed that Darlene left in the car they had driven. Jorge is wanted for questioning by police but authorities haven't been able to locate him.

Family members are convinced that she was abducted by Jorge and taken to Mexico. A family friend said a man who claimed to have information regarding Darlene was murdered.
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/t/trujillo_darlene.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/us/24prostitute.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0


It is not hard to suspect that gangs and even drug traffickers were involved in killing women in Albuquerque. It is also possible that the Albuquerque Police Department knows this but would rather blame the murders on a serial killer then to tangle with organized crime members that could have murdered at least 11 women.

Teresa Reyes' skull was found December 2004. She was identified the summer of this year.

http://www.abqjournal.com/274911/news/closure-but-then-more-questions-for-a-grieving-family.html

 

[sayd]

Teresa Reyes' skull was found December 2004. She was identified the summer of this year.

http://www.abqjournal.com/274911/news/closure-but-then-more-questions-for-a-grieving-family.html

Above it states (link to Charley Project doesn't work for me) that Teresa was possibly last seen with a Cuban drug dealer. Cuba, New Mexico, is just up the road from Tribal Road 279 on Highway 550 where Teresa's skull was found. One wonders which Cuba they are referring to. Overall, that area is just a quick drive (maybe 30 minutes) from the outskirts of Albuquerque and 279 would be about the first rural road to get off on that didn't have houses/traffic/people around. An easy place to commit a crime, dump a body, etc. I don't think it sounds like she was part of the West Mesa murders.

 

[bessie]

Five years after mass grave discovered, Albuquerque killings remain unsolved

By Joseph J. Kolb - FoxNews
Published February 10, 2014

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The haunting images of 11 women stare back from the City of Albuquerque website as if to remind the world that five years after their bodies turned up in a mass grave on the outskirts of town, a killer likely remains on the loose.

It was early February 2009 when Christine Ross, walking her dog Ruca in a field atop a mesa, spied what turned out to be a human femur. By the time authorities were done excavating the 92-acre site -- once dubbed the biggest crime scene in American history – 11 sets of remains had been unearthed. The victims were all females between the ages of 15 and 32, and had a history of drug abuse, prostitution or both.

In the last half-decade, connections to other mass killings have been investigated and dismissed, and suspicion has focused on various drifters and criminals only to see them cleared. Authorities insist they won’t stop until they solve what is known locally as the “West Mesa murders.”

 

[trigger]

Dateline NBC is having a 2 hour special tonight.

 

[bearfossils]

Cautiously optimistic about this, but to hear ANY news about this case, especially that police are still working hard and have several POI's, brings a ray of hope. If we are lucky, this one will get solved in the next few years. I've followed this case since seeing one of those Dateline on ID specials about the case. So heartbreaking. These women and their families deserve justice. I will never forget that Google Earth images that captured the slow and deliberate construction of the gravesite in the desert. Just thinking about it gives me chills...

 

[Pettibon Junction]

There was a decent feature on this case in Vice a few months back:

http://www.vice.com/read/who-is-the-west-mesa-bone-collector-0000439-v21n9

 

[Tricia]

Dear Websleuths Members,

This case needs you. 11 women murdered. We can't forget.

We need some great sleuths in this case. We need you to take on this case. Learn and sleuth everything you can about the West Mesa Murders. Become an expert on this case.


If you are a local please join in.

Soon we will be introducing documentary filmmakers who are interested in this case (West Mesa) and others. That's one of the reasons we need some great sleuthing experts for this case.

There must be nuggets of information that have been lost in the jumble of reports and articles that you can find.

Give it a shot. Become an expert in this case.

 

[CriminalMinds]

Dear Websleuths Members,

This case needs you. 11 women murdered. We can't forget.

We need some great sleuths in this case. We need you to take on this case. Learn and sleuth everything you can about the West Mesa Murders. Become an expert on this case.


If you are a local please join in.

Soon we will be introducing documentary filmmakers who are interested in this case (West Mesa) and others. That's one of the reasons we need some great sleuthing experts for this case.

There must be nuggets of information that have been lost in the jumble of reports and articles that you can find.

Give it a shot. Become an expert in this case.

...so you don't think it was MONTOYA??

 

[KateB]

There was a decent feature on this case in Vice a few months back:

http://www.vice.com/read/who-is-the-west-mesa-bone-collector-0000439-v21n9

From your link:

 

[wfgodot]

One of my favorite cases as, for a time, a person I'd dealt with was a person of interest.

This case needs solving.

 

[ah ha moment]

Could it have been they were getting rid of their non money making prostitutes? If they were living high risk lifestyle? how many were addicts I wonder? I would think there would be a point where an addict would use more than they make? I cannot figure people out. this is terrible.

 

[gayeld]

>>Very few, outside of Native Americans, know what a skinwalker is.<<

Everybody who watches Supernatural knows what a skinwalker is. Not to mention several other books and movies that use the concept.

 

[shadowraiths]

First thought that sprang to my mind, too -- but thinking further: Maybe it was felt there was not enough evidence for a murder charge but maybe for manslaughter, say -- and so "statute of limitations issues". Just a guess.

From above link..."Blea's DNA...matched DNA discovered on the pants of a young prostitute whose body had been dumped in the 1980's..."statute of limitations prevented a charge in that case"

How can this be? She was murdered. No statute of limitations there.

I would think that maybe the DNA found was sperm, so no proof of murder....sexual assault statute of limitations?

Clock ticks on West Mesa murders, other cold cases

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —New Mexico is the only state in the country that has a statute of limitations on second-degree murder.

So those looking to get away with murder in The Land of Enchantment should note that hiding the body for at least six years is a necessity.

[...]

The six-year statute of limitations is something Rep. Bill Rehm is trying to change. He's a retired Bernalillo County Sheriff's captain.

He uses the high profile West Mesa murders as another example -- the bodies of nearly a dozen women were found buried on the mesa back in February 2009.

Rehm said if police arrested someone today, just more than six years since the bodies were found, there's a good chance that person could walk.

"The forensic evidence is going to be very difficult because the individuals were out there so long, so it's going to be difficult to prove those murders as first-degree murders," said Rehm.​

link

 

[WideOpen]

I became familiar with the West Mesa murders when Adrienne Salinas of Tempe Az. went missing. I followed closely and while there were a few suspects one stuck out for me. The cab driver. This cab driver also lived within blocks of one of the Mesa victims at the time. Low on memory here( were there two girls cousins? who went missing) but I will try digging it up. I went as far as to call a detective on the case at the time and give the name.
Adrienne was found in the desert, her killer has never been found.

JMO

 

[shadowraiths]

Feb. 15 2014: Families of victims received tips about possible killers

John D. Peebles, 55, spent several years searching for his missing daughter, in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada. He was killed in a motorcycle accident last year while participating in the 2013 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.

The father spoke publicly about receiving death threats while investigating his daughter's whereabouts in Albuquerque's Central Avenue haunts, where undercover police said drugs flow easily and women drug addicts turned tricks to pay for cocaine and heroin.

[...]

Lopez-Haynes also said that some of the "word on the street" rumors that the families kept hearing were that drug dealers and dirty cops were involved in the West Mesa deaths, as participants or in cover-ups. Several families were told that "Cubanos" who were trafficking drugs were somehow connected, she said.

[...]

The brutality with which one of the victims was killed was made evident when Albuquerque investigators paid a visit to Jamie Barela's mother, Jayne Perea Barela.

"It was shortly after they identified Jamie's body," the mother said. "Two investigators came to my home. One of the detectives took me to (another) room to speak to me privately. She told that one of Jamie's breasts had been cut off. It was so upsetting to hear that. I will never forget it.

[...]

Diana Wilhelm, Gina Cinnamon Elk's mother, "stated that she has received several phone calls from unknown individuals claiming that cinnamon was murdered," according to a police report dated Feb. 9, 2005. "Diana stated that one of the callers also stated that (Cinnamon) had been beheaded."

[...]

Wilhelm said she got a call from 15-year-old Jamie Barela before the West Mesa graveyard was discovered.

"Jamie was the last of the West Mesa victims to be identified," Wilhelm said. "She called me in a rush one time, and told me that Cinnamon had been murdered. I gave the information to the police, but they never got back to me."​

El Paso Times: Lots more at link

 

[Tricia]

We are very excited to introduce two filmmakers, Joshua Zeman and Rachel Mills (Cropsey, Killer Legends) to our Websleuth community. Josh and Rachel have created an upcoming docu-series investigating five active serial killer cases across the country: LISK, Eastbound Strangler (Atlantic City), Daytona Beach Serial Killer, Long Haul Serial Killer Truckers, and the West Mesa Bone Collector. The series is Executive Produced by an Oscar-winning filmmaker and will be aired by a premium cable network.

Rachel and Joshua have a new Websleuths hat/handle: Danse_Macabre. When Danse_Macabre posts people listen...or at least read.

What's so exciting is how Websleuths plays a big role in the series. For each case, Rachel & Josh will be engaging the WS community and working side by side with individual websleuthers to discuss theories, work on leads, and bring sleuthing work to Law Enforcement, victim's families, and others committed to helping catch these killers.

As many of you know, the victims in the aforementioned cases were sex workers – so often, these women do not receive the attention, and justice, desperately needed by their families, and the communities in which these heinous crimes occurred. That's one reason Websleuths is such an amazing resource. When LE hits a dead end, Websleuths members continue going down unbeaten paths to look for leads.

TO READ MORE ABOUT OUR EXCITING NEWS CLICK HERE!

Please post your thoughts, ideas, whatever you want to say about Websleuths and the new docu-series.

If any members do know the name of the network please DO NOT reveal it. That will come later.

Thanks,
Tricia

 

[the seeker]

I do believe this is drug cartel at work and quite possible Montoya was involved in that also. Perhaps since his death, the others involved knew it was a matter of time before they connected Montoya and the mass grave would be discovered. Maybe this is why the killings in the area seemed to stop. There are many suspects still out there, IMO, and probably carrying out similar acts elsewhere, unfortunately.