NM - West Mesa Murders (2003-05)

[chicagofa13]

Possibly bones of missing prostitutes.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29247408/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Bones from six bodies have been uncovered in the desert west of Albuquerque during the past two weeks, and police said Tuesday they were likely put there by one person.

As detectives shore up their list of suspects, the list of possible victims is growing to include a group of 16 prostitutes who went missing from Albuquerque between 2001 and 2006 and others reported missing to other area law enforcement agencies.

 

[MeoW333]

Oh Good Lord, there's so many women missing in AZ..
Were they serial killer pimps?

 

[Jesikah1]

I am in New Mexico and have been surprised at the lack of coverage this case seems to be receiving. Perhaps it is because there are no updates yet, but to me this is huge, six bodies found, most likely dumped there by the same person.

I wonder how likely of a candidate this pimp they describe as a suspect in Victoria Chavez's disappearance is as a candidate for all the murders. (If that is indeed what caused the deaths.) When he died in January, they found pictures or articles on the missing prostitutes.

Would anybody who has experience in profiling like to offer a suggestion of how likely it would be that a pimp would also murder his "employees". I guess on one hand, the very fact that someone is a pimp could make them indifferent to a woman's humanity, but it seems like killing off prostitutes would be counterproductive to the pimp's livelihood.

Of course this is all speculation based on ideas offered in some of the articles I have read. The other five remains may not even be those of people working in the sex trade, although the area has had a number of known prostitutes and drug addicts go missing in the last decade.

Hopefully all the remains can be identified and the deceased loved ones can have some closure.

I look forward to hearing what you sleuthers think!

 

[Jesikah1]

The total is now 10 bodies including an unborn fetus.
Here is the link: http://kob.com/article/stories/S801500.shtml?cat=500

 

[Kat]

Possibly bones of missing prostitutes.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29247408/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Bones from six bodies have been uncovered in the desert west of Albuquerque during the past two weeks, and police said Tuesday they were likely put there by one person.

As detectives shore up their list of suspects, the list of possible victims is growing to include a group of 16 prostitutes who went missing from Albuquerque between 2001 and 2006 and others reported missing to other area law enforcement agencies.

snipped from the article:

"Argueta said his detectives are looking at a few suspects in connection with Chavez's case. Two suspects — Fred Reynolds and Lorenzo Montoya — are dead.

Reynolds, 60, was an Albuquerque area pimp who was found dead of natural causes in January. Police say he had pictures of some of the missing prostitutes in his home.

Montoya, 39, was shot and killed in 2006 after he killed a 19-year-old prostitute, Sherika Hill, and tried to stuff her nude body in the trunk of his car. Her pimp, parked outside his trailer waiting for Hill, shot Montoya."

 

[JaneInOz]

How terribly sad

They are all someones child and they should have proper burials

 

[Jesikah1]

I saw this before Kat and while I have nothing more than a gut instinct to go on, I don't know if the men mentioned in the initial article are responsible for all ten bodies. I think it depends on the identity of the bodies and the time frame of the dumps. I would hope that the police would have already been trying to tie these suspects' names to the other missing women as they shared similar risk factors in the way they went missing. However, it is possible that this discovery is what it takes for the police to really dig deeper into the circumstances of Albuquerque's missing women. Just my two cents! My goodness though, I hope they are able to solve this one, ten bodies in the span of five or six years has a monster's fingerprints all over it, and just imagine if the culprit isn't one of these two dead suspects?

 

[shadowraiths]

Expert suspects work ofserial killer
APD still mum on theories
Updated: Tuesday, 24 Feb 2009, 12:25 AM MST
Published : Tuesday, 24 Feb 2009, 12:24 AM MST
* Reporter: Tim Maestas
* Web Producer: Bill Diven

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The skeletal remains found buried on Albuquerque’s West Mesa over the last two weeks appear to be the work of a serial killer, according to a university professor who has studied that class of criminal for years.

Albuquerque police found the remains of four more people on Saturday and Monday, bringing the total number of potential victims to 10. One of the dead includes an unborn child.

“This has all the trappings of a serial murder case,” Dr. Dirk Gibson of the University of New Mexico told KRQE News 13.

Gibson has studied more than 1,000 serial killers and written three books on the subject.

“We don’t know the cause of death yet, but we would assume it’s not accidental,” Gibson said.

Albuquerque police said it is possible the buried people were murdered but has insisted it’s too early to tell.

Full article: click here

 

[Kat]

I saw this before Kat and while I have nothing more than a gut instinct to go on, I don't know if the men mentioned in the initial article are responsible for all ten bodies. I think it depends on the identity of the bodies and the time frame of the dumps. I would hope that the police would have already been trying to tie these suspects' names to the other missing women as they shared similar risk factors in the way they went missing. However, it is possible that this discovery is what it takes for the police to really dig deeper into the circumstances of Albuquerque's missing women. Just my two cents! My goodness though, I hope they are able to solve this one, ten bodies in the span of five or six years has a monster's fingerprints all over it, and just imagine if the culprit isn't one of these two dead suspects?

Respectfully bolded by me.


I, too, would be surprised if they were either as a pair or individually responsible. Montoya had been involved with a murder of a female before but it was back in either 2007 or 2006 and I can't find an archived article on the incident only a reference made to him killing a woman and then being shot by her boyfriend.

Perhaps it is sloppy reporting but I found in interesting that the other man, was said to have "Police say he had pictures of some of the missing prostitutes in his home." (quoted from the article posted in post #1).

But yet, also from that article "Of the six sets of remains, only one has been identified through dental records provided by the family of Victoria Chavez when they reported her missing in 2004."

I'm not sure how to connect that man if he has pictures of some of the women that had been missing~to~ he might be responsible for the remains of the victims found when only one had been identified at that time.

:waitasec: I probably didn't make a lot of sense trying to type that out. I hope you all can sort out what I am trying to say.

 

[Law_girl41]

Does NM have any issue with border problems? I saw a special that NM was having problems with drug lord murders from Mexico spilling into the US, inc. NM deserts......However, these murders apear to be burried??? A serial killer may take the time to burry his victims, while a drug lord more than likely wound not. Anyone taking the time to burry a victim, doesnt want them to be found and in other words, wants to continue this crime.......Just my thoughts.

But hopefully they are able to identify the remains of all the victims and be returned to their loved ones for closure. And likewise, hope they are able to solve who commited them.

 

[MeoW333]

With 10 bodies found in the same "dumping ground" shows the person dumping them there was very comfortable with the spot.

 

[Julessleuther]

That is what I thought of too. In AZ we have a problem with coyotes (people who carry illegals across the border for money) dumping people in the desert, where they succumb to the elements, and many illegals getting killed in drug issues.

Does NM have any issue with border problems? I saw a special that NM was having problems with drug lord murders from Mexico spilling into the US, inc. NM deserts......However, these murders apear to be burried??? A serial killer may take the time to burry his victims, while a drug lord more than likely wound not. Anyone taking the time to burry a victim, doesnt want them to be found and in other words, wants to continue this crime.......Just my thoughts.

But hopefully they are able to identify the remains of all the victims and be returned to their loved ones for closure. And likewise, hope they are able to solve who commited them.

 

[believe09]

So the count is up, but the authorities believe it is one single incident....so they believe that these 9 people were murdered at the same time and then buried...and no one noticed. What would motivate a mass murder like this-drugs, eliminating witnesses?

Let's say some were illegals-why take out everyone? Had they been questioned by LE regarding drugs or a sex-trade ring??

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/02/24/nm.bodies/index.html

 

[SuziQ]

I've been following this case and Joel Patrick Courtney keeps coming to mind. LE is pretty sure he's a prolific serial killer, but have not found any victims.

(snip)
Bernalillo County, New Mexico District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said she thinks Courtney may be linked to some other disappearances and wants investigators to examine where else Courtney may have traveled and stayed between Corvallis and Albuquerque and "see if there are any unresolved cases."
(great article at link)

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/joel_courtney/1.html

 

[SuziQ]

Expert suspects work ofserial killer
APD still mum on theories
Updated: Tuesday, 24 Feb 2009, 12:25 AM MST
Published : Tuesday, 24 Feb 2009, 12:24 AM MST
* Reporter: Tim Maestas
* Web Producer: Bill Diven


Full article: click here

Have you worked up a profile on the Unsub yet? I'd be extremely interested in what you think.

 

[SuziQ]

http://www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/2006/jan2006/jan2006leb.htm

(snip)
Although Courtney grew up in the Portland, Oregon, area, he has moved extensively during his adult life. There is a high possibility that he has assaulted other victims in the following areas: Albuquerque, New Mexico (7/1994-8/ 1994, 8/1997, and 11/2000); Anchorage, Alaska (1989-1992); Beaverton, Oregon (1986-1992); Bernalillo, New Mexico (5/1995-8/1997); Cape Canaveral, Florida (5/2001-3/2003); Cocoa Beach, Florida (5/2001-9/2002); Grants, New Mexico (9/1995); Pensacola, Florida (5/2001); Portland, Oregon (1980-1989, 1993, and 2004); and Rio Rancho, New Mexico (6/1996-2004). In addition, he is known to have traveled to Mexico via Arizona.

ETA: Alert to Law Enforcement

Law enforcement agencies should bring this information to the attention of all homicide, sex offender, and cold case units regarding cases in which Joel Patrick Courtney may be involved. Anyone having cases similar to the described modus operandi with the suspect’s DNA evidence should contact Crime Analyst Vicki McRoberts, Corvallis, Oregon, Police Department at 541766-6989 or Crime Analyst Ken Whitla of the ViCAP Unit at 703-632-4254. The Corvallis Police Department maintains a DNA profile for the suspect.

 

[believe09]

snip
Officer Nadine Hamby said the bodies appear to have been buried between 2003 and 2005, and authorities believe the deaths were tied to a single incident.
snip

This is a snip from the CNN article. I am assuming that it appears as if there was a mass grave dug, and then these folks were executed. If there were bullets, then I assume they would have been found among the remains and COD would be no surprise.

So were they killed elsewhere and dumped? How does someone control at least 9 adults and kill them? There is no mention that they were bound-perhaps that is holdback.

This is a puzzler, given the differing press reports...first of a serial killer and now a statement about a single incident??

 

[SuziQ]

snip
Officer Nadine Hamby said the bodies appear to have been buried between 2003 and 2005, and authorities believe the deaths were tied to a single incident.
snip

This is a snip from the CNN article. I am assuming that it appears as if there was a mass grave dug, and then these folks were executed. If there were bullets, then I assume they would have been found among the remains and COD would be no surprise.

So were they killed elsewhere and dumped? How does someone control at least 9 adults and kill them? There is no mention that they were bound-perhaps that is holdback.

This is a puzzler, given the differing press reports...first of a serial killer and now a statement about a single incident??

And 9 people missing at once would be quite noticable. A drop house or smuggling occured to me. But that wouldn't explain Chavez' body being there.

 

[SuziQ]

Ok, I’ve found ten listed missing between 2003-2005 at the below link. We have 9 bodies (minus the fetus) One body has been identified leaving 8 UID’s. I’ve put asterists by the two I don’t feel fit with the rest. That leaves 8 missing and 8 UID’s. They did not go missing at the same time though. Not sure where I’m going with this yet. Just thought I would post it for consideration.J

http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmalistview.php?wstr=Adult&state=NM&alpha=%

2003-05-30 Brenda Jeen Apalicio

2003-05-15 Monica Diana Candelaria

2005-10-15 Harvey Dale Fernandez

2005-05-14 Nina Brenda Herron

2003-04-14 Christine Julian

2004-10-06 Neil Michael McPhee*

2003-08-01 Alvin Chege Muthemba

2004-03-26 Evelyn JesusMaria Salazar and Jamie Barela (also missing),

2004-03-26 Jamie Barela and Evelyn JesusMaria Salazar

2003-10-07 Joseph William Segur*

 

[Ruflossn]

The cause of Chavez's death was not known, but Albuquerque police spokesman John Walsh speculated last week that her death could be related to violent sex trade.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/02/24/nm.bodies/index.html

I have been following this story for the past few days. It gets more and more bizarre. There are now 9 adults and 1 unborn child that have been tied to this crime scene. They are all reported dead from one incident and involvement in a violent sex trade is now suspicioned? Only one of the bodies that has been found has been identified, that of a known prostitute and drug abuser. I would immediately begin looking at the identified females victimology. Somewhere amongst her "friends" the truth of what went terribly wrong in the lives of these victims will be found. Whoever "dumped" the bodies in this area, must have been very familiar and comfortable w/ the area.

-One incident killed 10 people (this includes the unborn child)
-One victim has been identified
-The identified victim lived a high risk lifestyle
-One victim was pregnant
-A violent sex trade has been mentioned as a possible connection
-The victims were "buried". Their deaths were concealed........ why? If it were tied to drugs I would think burial would be the last thing concerning a drug lord. Wouldn't you want to "send a message" to your enemies that you meant serious business.........

This is a strange, twisted, and sad case.
It will be interesting to see how it unfolds.