>> how'd she look? in the grave of jane doe number 8 investigators found a tiny second set of bones. apoquel goes right to the source of itch to provide relief in as little as four hours! >> she was on your list. dr. scholl's. i'm craig melvin. everyone. and she's alive. Female sex workers are far more likely to be the victims of violent crimes like rape and murder, but communities do not tend to take notice of such cases in the same way as when women from other parts of society are affected. While the killings were initially believed to be the work of a serial killer, the involvement of a sex trafficking ring has been suspected. >> reporter: dan immediately called detective ida lopez with the tip. >> i find a girl with the same background. Years had passed from the time the women and girls disappeared, likely limiting available evidence. >> we're looking for people who've had histories of showing, violence against prostitutes. [11], On September 12, 2018, Buffett was convicted on two of those counts with a maximum possible sentence of 44 months and, on November 8, 2018, was sentenced to 32 months minus time served and good behavior. [9] Some of the women appear to be unconscious, and many share the same physical characteristics as the original 11 victims. soon could be months. it's pretty much the easiest way to save since sliced bread. YouTube/KOATThe West Mesa murders have yet to be solved. [12] Michelle Valdez was four months pregnant at the time of her death.[13]. within days evidence of one body, had become evidence of two. [19] He had twice been arrested for violent attacks on sex workers and had threatened to kill his girlfriend and bury her in lime. Within a year, they had identified all of the 11 victims, which ranged in age from 15 to 32. ida knew the odds of finding any of the missing women alive were not good. and one of the locations that was searched was right next door to a newspaper. She was convinced he was the West Mesa killer. was it all hot air, or did someone with knowledge of the murders mix a kernel of truth into those rumors? then four. Where do they crash? but since he bought his house are you going 45? West Mesa Murders Timeline | KRQE News 13 Being a registered nurse, she was able to tell Christine that the bone looked like a human femur, so Christine contacted the police. West Mesa Serial Killer Satellite Image | Peatix it was so much going through my. A two-hour NBC Dateline special about the 2014 Fayetteville murder of James Allan Chambers II will air Friday at 9 p.m. . now no fruit is forbidden. do not use if you are allergic to dupixent. she started keeping a list of missing women who match that profile.wh that was the easy part. but i get to say this is where she's at. and then she left it. have a good weekend and have a good night from what is our nbc news head quarters here in new york. Where do those women congregate. and then as the months go by, wi search more and find that there are, you know, maybe another one here, then another one there, and that sort of thing. If you have any information about the West Mesa murders, or about other missing women related to this case, Albuquerque Police have a dedicated hotline. do you know -- -room 303. >> we would just love to have the opportunity to interview him and treat him just like any of the other individuals we're looking at in this case. Although Montoya fit the description, the West Mesa serial killer remains unidentified. >> she didn't want to be found. >> it's kind of eerie looking at those satellite photos. >> i came out here looking for my cousin, and i bumped into cinnamon, and she had told me that -- that the girls were getting their heads cut off and tooken to the mesa. [8][9], After repeatedly lying to police, Wozniak finally confessed. >> it's like being in a race and somebody has a year ahead start. >> looking at everybody. On february 2, 2009, a woman walking a dog found a human bone on the west mesa of albuquerque, new mexico. Promising leads became dead ends with every cleared suspect. Joplin man says he has been cleared of suspicion in serial murders it was tough. They founded Safe Streets New Mexico in response to the threats sex workers face in the state and the lack of attention paid to violent crimes against them. Are there any other episodes or podcasts you'd recommend that discuss this further? and was he still at work? It was the most disturbing murder case Albuquerque police had ever seen and it remains unsolved to this day. | Dr. Phil", "Dr. Phil | Actress Accused: Was She an Accessory to Murder? They were between 15 and 32 years of age, most were Hispanic, and most were involved with drugs and sex work. The toddler peddled a small trike across the couple's driveway and out of view of the camera as Mesaa . babcock says he saw marks on the woman's throat and that she told him montoya looked like he was enjoying it. except for one thing. it's got to be that person. Jamie Barela, 15 - Jamie was not involved with drugs or sex work like the other ten victims. michelle's little girl angelica was now the center of attention. and you never know how your skin will look. i noticed when she started seeing one of her boyfriends, you know. Albuquerque's unknown Serial Killer | Real Life Monsters Police had also received a report of domestic violence from Montoya's girlfriend, who claimed he beat her and did "gross things" to her that she didn't want to elaborate on in the report. but what can you do?te you can't be with them 24/7. Happy New Year! That discovery of a single bone led to a months-long dig, as police used DNA and dental records to identify the women and girls. In 2009, the bodies of 11 women were found in multiple shallow graves on the West Mesa of Albuquerque but the cases remain unsolved. Known as the West Mesa killings, the victims' deaths have resulted in no arrests, despite the massive homicide investigation police launched after discovering the makeshift graves. 13 years later, Albuquerque Police have never officially or publicly named suspects in the case. Victims of the West Mesa Murders - Albuquerque Journal In a 2013 interview, Ray Schultz said there was a "conscious shift" in the Albuquerque Police Department to take prostitutes more seriously. >> i think we will. >> reporter: they call it tough love. >> reporter: from a pool of hundreds wendy first narrowed the field to 30, then to 10, and then to 1. one girl whose face, age, and biography seemed to match what she saw in the sketch. The West Mesa Murders are the killings of eleven women whose remains were found buried in 2009 in the desert on the West Mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States.Several suspects have been named, but none were arrested or charged. >> there were numerous rumors out there that certain individuals had killed several of them, and then one in particular had been killed by drug dealers. [ chuckles ] i'm done with this class. now between the bulldozers and ida's prayers the department was moving heaven and earth to find out if there were more women from ida's list out there. advil pm. it turns out that even though that evidence was long gone by the time those bones were discovered in 2009 a bird's eye view was precisely the perspective investigators needed. There are also photos of possible missing women that are connected to the case. quickbooks. >> the reality is it was kind of like this is not happening. "They didn't deserve what they got. >> reporter: but as erratic as michelle had become in recent years, she'd somehow always managed to show up. "Dateline NBC" is the longest-running series in NBC primetime history and is in its 31st season. ask your veterinarian about apoquel today. Apparently he had made numerous comments about abducting prostitutes from the New Mexico state fair and taking them to his mother's property on the outskirts of ABQ. We'll do better next time, I promise! it's been nine years since that summer night when ida lopez first took to the streets of albuquerque's war zone alone, searching for a couple of missing women. -what? >> reporter: working alone, the detective distributed flyers with the women's pictures at truck stops, convenience stores, even the new mexico state fair. >> so what i usually do is i go back to see what their arrest history is. >> my personal opinion, i believe that that person is still out there. The West Mesa Murders City of Albuquerque The 11 victims whose remains were discovered at the West Mesa site in 2009. do not use in breeding, pregnant or lactating dogs. That threat and the circumstances of his death led police to suspect that Montoya had been the West Mesa Bone Collector. Tonight's episode of Dateline: Unforgettable Season 2 will have Josh Mankiewicz narrate the story of the dedicated detective Ida Lopez, who is still working on these decade-old cases to help the victims and their families find some form of justice. >> reporter: and for albuquerque's homicide detectives there was the most pressing question of all. >> well, just a few minutes ago albuquerque police left the dig site after they say they'd met all of the goals that they set. we had to utilize the joplin police department. Due to the 2008 housing bubble collapse, development on the West Side halted before housing could be built at the burial site. and she said no, dad. they deal with all kinds. >> this is michelle. Many of the victims' families reported them missing years earlier. we have to look into it. Dateline: Unforgettable airs every Tuesday on Oxygen at 8:00 PM ET. Detectives were left with the fact that serial killers move with ease, often vanishing long before their victims are ever found. [19][21], In August 2010, police searched several properties in Joplin, Missouri associated with local photographer and businessman Ron Erwin in connection with the West Mesa cases. Lopez was part of the investigation from the very beginning, when the homicides were a series of missing persons cases related to the disappearance of numerous women. he opened up the door for all the wrong things. n.d then there was the service part, the helping people part of police work. the drugs. in this 2002 image of the area where the bones were discovered there's nothing unusual. but because doctors caught the cancer early, ida required neither chemo nor radiation therapy. yes, i pray that they're okay. from the moment the west mesa murder case landed in their laps, detectives knew they would be chasing a phantom and grasping at smoke. >> the only body that has been identified so far, victoria chavez. -ahhh. After two trials, killer of Colorado mom of three with secret life appeals conviction Lester Jones was found guilty of kidnapping and murder in December 2016. >> reporter: one of those women, safira mora, was found alive and well a few weeks after this story first aired in december 2010. right now the killer, if he's still alive, has plenty of it. -it's kind of like driving with his dad. Police budgets are stretched thin. proven better on pain. missing persons were attractive women in their 20s, with arrest records for drugs and prostitution.r both had seemingly vanished without a word to friends or relatives. i've been beat. >> reporter: the conclusion was inescapable. >> and i can understand it. but her presence in the west mesa bone yard raised a troubling prospect. -oh, what am i into? but guess what? Lopezs investigation found that close to two dozen women with similar profiles were missing. Dateline NBC - Season 19 Episode 12: Somebody's Daughter - Metacritic okay? Her daughter had found womens clothing and jewelry in their home, with some families later revealing that the victims jewelry was missing. oh, i've had 17. i've been choked. [2] He was found guilty and sentenced to death in September 2016. Wozniak came under suspicion after he instructed a sixteen-year-old, Wesley Freilich, to withdraw money from Herr's accounts. >> right. you know, maybe we ought to run that list. The tragic truth was that sex workers made for easy targets, and are often distanced from relatives while communities are blind to their disappearance. you need to stop and smell the roses of savings. Wozniak then staged the crime scene to make it appear as though Kibuishi had been sexually assaulted, suggesting that Herr had committed her assault and subsequent murder and then gone on the run. >> i went to some drug rehab places who were not willing to help me. The investigation led the detective to discover at least 17 more similar cases of missing women, whom she referred to as "her girls.". but is it true? In 2005, she was handed two missing persons files including missing 25-year-old Michelle Valdez,. we had them in the air. >> and you thought, this is it. According to the Albuquerque Journal, Blea was no stranger to the parts of the city where sex work is known to take place. The investigators were concentrating, apparently, on the females on the street. The case remains unsolved till date, with eight girls still missing. Julie Gonzales, the sister of murder victim Doreen Marquez, told KRQE the . that. Downtown Albuquerque as seen from the West Mesa. 14th birthday michelle valdez gave birth to a baby girl she named angelica. heart that day when she wasn't there. Police say Wozniak killed combat vet Samuel Eliezer . glad i could help. it recommends our best custom fit orthotic to relieve foot, knee, or lower back pain. Dateline: Unforgettable: Who is detective Ida Lopez and what is her Syllania Edwards, also 15, was the only one not from New Mexico. Several women had children now being raised by relatives. >> i started looking into the missing and exploited children's website and was able to search through as many african-american females that matched the possible stature, where they might have been when they went missing. what had i been doing? apoquel may increase the chance of developing serious infections and may cause existing parasitic skin infestations or pre-existing cancers to worsen. sunrise would bring news of his daughter michelle. >> i took it upon myself to tape them, tape every event. The West Mesa Serial Killer Satellite Photos - Transborder Media some of it seemed to take. >> he may be waiting to start doing the same thing again. Ultimately, a lack of evidence failed to pin the murders on Blea, who is serving a 90-year sentence for sexual assault cases from the 1980s and 1990. >> yeah, i think there's no doubt that you're dealing with one guy. >> there used to be a motel here. Dateline - NBC.com West Mesa murder case reaches ten year anniversary. this date's lame. >> that really sends a chill up and down your spine. Barela was last seen at a family gathering, which she and Salazar left for a park on San Mateo and Gibson Boulevard, near the airport. Victims' families weren't involved in planning the event, but relatives who attend will be asked to speak if they wish, said Barber. there's a better choice. and we got a list of names. >> i was only 8 years old and becoming an aunt, you know. According to the TV program, FBI profilers told Albuquerque police that the killer was a white or Hispanic male in his 30s. Daniel Wozniak, the California theater actor accused of beheading his neighbor, Army vet Sam Herr, and his friend Juri "Julie" Kibuish, in Costa Mesa six years ago, is the focus of Dateline NBC tonight. >> it gathered a lot of attention because we had to utilize the fbi. >> reporter: commander feist, who tried to keep the local press at arm's length during the excavation, finally allowed them to cross under the yellow tape and onto crime scene, along with crews from "america's most wanted." >> yeah, that did cross my mind numerous times. >> it is a lot of shovel and pick work. At first, it was like any other Monday night, but Feb. 2, 2009, would stick with Christine Ross forever. protection. KTVB's Morgan Romero is joined by Keith Morrison on Channel 7 ahead of Friday's two-hour Dateline special on the Idaho student murders at 8 p.m. MT. >> the majority of our girls were street-level prostitutes. they can be. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. The 11 victims whose remains were discovered at the West Mesa site in 2009. >> reporter: cops call this section of central avenue the war zone. pe reporter: the michelle valdez that appears in these home videos with her little sisters is a far cry from the thin, drug-wasted young woman police would later come to know and fingerprint. so help heal your skin from within, with dupixent. (danny) after a long day of hard work you have to do more work? she said, "no, don't tell me that. i don't have a normal, you know, regular address. Furthermore, Police encountered Blea nearly 140 times between 1990 and 2009, often in drug-heavy areas that the victims were known to frequent. because, they suppose, all those earlier rumors about the women being abducted, killed, and dumped in the desert had to have started somewhere. memorial service organized by Street Safe New Mexico. They also found electrical tape and rope in his car when he was arrested in 2003 for exposing himself to a woman. What appeared to be a human bone was just the beginning. >> homicidal violence. you know, it's stuff you read about. >> reporter: by the end of 2005 ida had five women on her list who were roughly the same age with similar backgrounds. i said all right. mind. make febreze part of your clean routine for whole home freshness. >> i told michelle she couldn't come over. Authorities suspect a serial killer could be behind the deaths of 11 women and a yet unborn fetus, who were discovered in New Mexico. >> but it might not have been a nice thing? and there's a foot chase. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Where to Watch Dateline Mystery Dateline Mystery is available for streaming on the NBC News website, both individual episodes and full seasons. >> tonight they say the search is far from over. -not this. >> when they told us that they had a young black girl, i thought, i didn't have a black girl on my list. >> i really thought he could be her killer. that was easy! >> suggesting possibly that the killer met her in denver, brought her here? Be the first one to comment on this story. Police have offered a $100,000 reward for anyone offering evidence leading to the discovery of the person the media came to call the West Mesa Bone Collector. ready, set, go. But by 2009, when the bones were discovered, development had erased any hope of automobile evidence. Edwards was classified as an endangered runaway from Lawton, Oklahoma in 2003 and was last seen with three sex workers in Aurora, Colorado in May 2004. >> he may be waiting in some other community to start doing the same thing again. >> a few years before the first body was found a colleague of mine and i had heard about a list of women that were missing. happy birthday that september angelica celebrated her sixth birthday. "They all had families that care for them.". West Mesa murders subject of two-hour Dateline tonight - Blogger he killed her, wrapped her body. turning up on the mesa. Ruca found a large bone protruding from the earthen trail. terry, can you take a selfie of me? >> maybe there are women out there who aren't on any list. everyone? >> this particular individual made sure that he went back each and every time when he was going to dispose of a body and disposed of it in the same area where the other women were. but the police who arrived at the scene shortly after nightfall soon determined that this was no ancient artifact. An unsolved murder case has haunted the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico for more than a decade. that once she was lost and that now she's found. >> no. so, let's make this the summer of loving your gut. after three years angelica was sent to live with dan's mother, who lived nearby, and michelle took to living with a series of people she called friends. The 49 girls and women murdered by Gary Ridgway, the "Green River Killer," in Washington state in the 1980s and '90s didn't receive anywhere near the same level of public attention and sympathy as the college students Ted Bundy murdered in the same state in the 1970s. She was found buried next to her 27-year-old cousin, Evelyn Salazar. >> oh, yeah. start with supporting your gut health. The West Mesa killings occurred from 2001 - 2005, and the serial killer responsible has never been caught. too many people in pain settle for. you're lying to me. when they looked at old pictures of the mesa. New Mexico State University", "Fair prostitutes help West Mesa murders", "The Untold Truth Of The West Mesa Murders", "APD Talks 10-Year Investigation Into West Mesa Murders", "The West Mesa Murders And The Bone Collector Behind Them", "Updated: Seven years later, one detective remains on West Mesa killings", "AMW Fugitives West Mesa Bone Collector Case", "Women's photos may link to mesa murders", "West Mesa Serial Killer--$100,000 Reward", "Lawton girl was only teen in mass grave", "Albuquerque police release photos in West Mesa murders investigation (warning: content may be disturbing for some people)", "Police identify 2 women from photos, both alive", "Dateline To Air Story on West Mesa Deaths", "West Mesa Bone Collector Albuquerque NM", "Police Pursue Possible Leads In West Mesa Cases", "Albuquerque police release photos in West Mesa murders investigation", "Joplin man says he has been cleared of suspicion in serial murders", "Colorado killer quizzed in mesa murders", "Does APD have a suspect in the West Mesa Murders? eventually, ida and the cold case detective were able to persuade the department to let them form an unofficial task force, where once a month they met with other agencies, including the fbi. Dateline - NBC.com Compelling mysteries, powerful documentaries, in-depth investigations. >> i thought ida being a police officer was awfully small. [9] In 2010, a reward of up to $100,000 was being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.[11]. Another expresses hope that authorities will find the killer. The Piketon Massacre. but in the end ida was able to make everybody care. According to Dateline, because of what they did and how they lived their stories might not have been told..