but ever since her early days in uniformed patrol, ida lopez has called them her girls. you don't have a school schedule or work schedule, that sort of thing. ten. because deep within your skin an overly sensitive immune system could be the cause. but the detectives knew simply finding the bones in the first place had been an incredibly lucky break. within weeks of starting her new job, ida was handed two missing persons files. stop dancing around the pain your home and auto that keeps you up again, and again. Most of them hadnt even been reported missing at the time their remains were found. Street Safe was founded in 2009, aiming to ensure volunteers kept a steady presence in an area along Historic Route 66 while handing out clothing and other products each Friday. >> where was i the night before? michelle's little girl angelica was now the center of attention. >> so lorenzo was arrested for charges beyond just patronizing a prostitute. >> reporter: working alone, the detective distributed flyers with the women's pictures at truck stops, convenience stores, even the new mexico state fair. The serial murders of 11 women in the West Mesa area of Albuquerque will be featured in a two-hour edition of NBC's Dateline tonight. -i know. shocking talk on the streets. What appeared to be a human bone was just the beginning. The police are reportedly willing to reward $100,000 to anybody who provides information on the West Mesa murders. >> somebody that lives here? Police suspect that the bodies were all buried by the same person or persons, and may be the work of a serial killer, who has since come to be referred to as the West Mesa Bone Collector. >> she was on my list. [citation needed], In November 2012, Wozniak's then-fiance, Rachel Mae Buffett, was arrested[10] and charged with three felony counts of accessory-after-the-fact based on allegations that she had lied multiple times to police investigators. when had i last seen her? >> yeah. All went missing between 2003 and 2005. Valdez was pregnant at the time of her death and her . and in spite of their example, they can't quit the life. in this 2002 image of the area where the bones were discovered there's nothing unusual. Neither woman was. -uh, yes. glad i could help. don't lie to me." that way, again, so if i were doing a different process or if i was looking at something specific, i needed to know that i didn't have the eyes of america in that hole with me. All of the women, except 15-year-old Jamie Barela, had one thing in common: They were all involved in drugs and sex work. i used to live actually behind there when i was in college. now no fruit is forbidden. bark i wanted to consolidate my credit cards in to a personal loan to pay them off faster. The Discovery On February 2, 2009, a woman walking her dog along the West Mesa came across what appeared. he's a photographer. it recommends our best custom fit orthotic to relieve foot, knee, or lower back pain. so, let's make this the summer of loving your gut. [4] Blea, in the Mid-School rape case, was sentenced to 36 years in June 2015, at 58 years of age. there's no way. >> there's probably people that, were in albuquerque during the time frame we're looking at and now through investigative leads or other sources we find something that tells us a little bit more about their lifestyle as well, which would give us again that kind of immediate gut reaction, it's got to be. According to Dateline, because of what they did and how they lived their stories might not have been told.. found her and she's not alive. and i thought, well, i'll write it and we'll see what happens. so it's a matter of time before they go back out. [23], In December 2010, convicted Colorado serial killer Scott Lee Kimball stated that he was being investigated for the West Mesa murders, but he denied killing the women.[24]. Who are the dominate males, and lesbians in their Tribe? A prostitute named Christine said the same year that other prostitutes in that area had become more conscious about watching out . Authorities suspect a serial killer could be behind the deaths of 11 women and a yet unborn fetus, who were discovered in New Mexico. it was comforting that it didn't just happen to me. -they're very tasteful. [12] Michelle Valdez was four months pregnant at the time of her death.[13]. but by 2004 camille, the tag-along little sister, had had enough.on when michelle asked dan if she could move back home for a while, camille put her foot down. >> 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. if she comes and stays, i'm going to leave. i said no. >> what we see very often is the women involved in prostitution work in what's called the circuit. michelle had just turned 20. a milestone that was not lost on mother or child. but on the periphery in offhand moments dan's camera also caught something else.me the look and the unspoken despair that signaled the death. -, Press J to jump to the feed. >> kind of weird to be able to, you know, call a family and say great news -- >> oh, yeah. Janepsy "Cindy" Carballo's life was shattered in an instant when a hail of gunfire erupted outside her North Miami home. and the newly organized families, which included everyone with a daughter on ida's list, began holding monthly vigils to keep public attention focused on finding all of the missing women. >> a college campus gripped by fear. but if one of them had during the 2003 or 2004 festivals, they might have actually seen evidence of a murderer moonlighting as a grave digger. >> it's more than just a few. >> and you thought, this is it. now that's simple, easy, awesome. >> a lot of people said they were drug addicts and prostitutes. Dateline Full Episodes. >> there could be somebody up there right now. >> did you notice when the girls were going missing? and if they weren't on the mesa, where were they? >> if these women had been blond, white, and from the right part of town would you guys have sounded the alarm sooner? she struggled to hold it all together. They think theyre just a bunch of hookers and drug addicts, he said. >> the hardest part of this whole thing is having to go to somebody's house and say we found her and she's not alive. Albuquerque murder mystery: Who is the West Mesa killer? she said, michelle. in late january 2010, nearly a year after the first bones were discovered on albuquerque's west mesa, the last set of remains was matched to another name on ida's list. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts for all-day, all-night protection. [4] In December 2006, Montoya strangled a teenage sex worker to death at his trailer and then was shot to death by the teen's boyfriend. Police on Long Island, New York, have released the name of a previously unidentified victim linked to the notorious Gilgo Beach murders. it's not the pretty woman. After neighbors complained of flooding at the platted site (due to the burial of the natural arroyo), the developer built a retaining wall to channel storm water to a retention pond built in the approximate area of the burial site, inadvertently exposing bones to the surface. i sent it to my sister, who's a nurse. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. In February 2009, her body was identified. For homicide investigators, the case posed challenges from the start, said Dirk Gibson, a communications and journalism professor at the University of New Mexico who has authored numerous books on serial killings. it took years. >> reporter: and for albuquerque's homicide detectives there was the most pressing question of all. but we don't know if it's him or not. i said, "detective lopez just told us that your mother has been positively i.d. those two files would mark the beginning of the biggest case in her career and would turn into pabarmis.markintos most heinouy crime stories. [7], On February 2, 2009, a woman walking a dog found a human bone on the West Mesa, and reported it to police. The published list also included the names of eight of the 11 West Mesa murder victims . who was responsible for turning the west mesa into an unmarked cemetery? how'd he get out?! Ross would soon discover that 11 dead bodies, now known as the West Mesa Murders, lay beneath. >> reporter: dan may have had. and she said -- she went up to put her arms around me, and i hugged her. and what we hope to happen is that someone that's had an encounter with this killer will. tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems, including eye pain or changes in vision. "You can't have a colder cold case," Gibson said. 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. Albuquerque detective Ida Lopez took it upon herself to uncover the story behind the remains of 11 women and an unborn fetus, which were discovered over 13 years ago, buried in shallow graves in a West Mesa desert. everyone. born to move. Where do they crash? Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque police spokesman, said detectives receive hundreds of tips in the case each year, and continue to follow different leads while retesting evidence as DNA and other investigative technology advances. each x marking another day without word from his oldest daughter, michelle. In 2005, she was handed two missing persons files including missing 25-year-old Michelle Valdez,. do not use in breeding, pregnant or lactating dogs. ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. you're lying to me. She took a picture and messaged her sister, a registered nurse who confirmed that it was. their customers. >> reporter: in that time the case has gone from a nightmare for a few flawed souls to a nationwide search for a serial killer, an unidentified man who police believe may not have succeeded in killing every woman he coaxed into his car. and that didn't take that part away, that she was still somebody's little girl. so i gave her the money. but it was what had happened next that really focused the detectives' attention. [4] At the time of the murders, Wozniak was deeply in debt and unemployed but planning a lavish wedding and honeymoon. high school, college. shadows prostitutes. >> it's taking all my time. Are there any other episodes or podcasts you'd recommend that discuss this further? this date's lame. because, they suppose, all those earlier rumors about the women being abducted, killed, and dumped in the desert had to have started somewhere. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered Snapped Murdered by Morning An Unexpected Killer Snapped: Killer Couples Final Moments Living with a Serial Killer Buried in the Backyard Killer Relationship with. and she's alive. >> we're looking for people who've had histories of showing, violence against prostitutes. But by 2009, when the bones were discovered, development had erased any hope of automobile evidence. commander feist knew every scrap of evidence recovered from that gigantic crime scene would have to be cataloged and stored until it came time to prosecute the west mesa grave digger. [17] In June 2018, more bones were found near the site of the burials, but these were later determined to be ancient and not related to the West Mesa murders. >> it's like being in a race and somebody has a year ahead start. The only emerging pattern was that 10 of the victims were sex workers or victims of sex trafficking. >> it's desert. it recommends our best custom fit orthotic to relieve foot, knee, or lower back pain. start with supporting your gut health. by 2002 the wear and tear is written all over her face. >> 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. and then she says is there anything that we can do? 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. when a stolen car rap in arizona landed michelle in jail, dan says he bailed her out and pleaded with her to change her ways. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. >> all of the victims buried out on the west mesa were buried naked, with no clothing on. because savings is as savings does. Lopezs investigation found that close to two dozen women with similar profiles were missing. There has been little pressure on the police to investigate.. "In this case, there was almost nothing but bones.". quickbooks. all the remains. but i just have to keep believing that today could be the day, today could be the day. what one little chew can do. and then she left it. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. >> reporter: over the years ida's list of the lost had grown to include close to two dozen women who fit the same basic profile -- young drug-addicted hispanic women who were known to wander the gritty streets of albuquerque's war zone. every life is a mystery. it was tough. Where were the males that make up their community? >> and she didn't mind? >> the biggest thing that makes syllania different is she's not a local girl. But most of the other victims vanished with even fewer details. >> reporter: the resulting column, which for the first time publicly connected the missing women on ida's list with the west mesa bone field, hit the front page one month after the first bone was found. Happy New Year! What appeared to be a human bone was just the beginning. the fall of 2005 was one of those times. >> that really sends a chill up and down your spine. >> reporter: the fact is dan valdez had been recording his. what if jane doe number 7 was just the first of many victims the grave digger brought to the, west mesa from somewhere else? A sinister force seems to be snatching women off the streets of Albuquerque. and you never know how your skin will look. there weren't just two women that were missing. >> i said to one of my editors. we have to look into it. >> reporter: investigators had plenty of leads but none that had gotten them closer to answering two questions -- who was he? help heal your skin from within. a name and face detective babcock knew quite well from an encounter in 1999, when babcock was working the vice unit in albuquerque. and then three. >> i just always felt that they were going to be together. One bears a stick-figure angel and a message from a woman who says the victims watch over her. but i get to say this is where she's at. >> reporter: sticking up for victims comes naturally to ida lopez. >> and we will see justice. The 58-year-old Joplin businessman and photographer informed the Globe last week that he has been cleared of. >> reporter: this michelle according to her sister camille was an all-american girl with a future as bright as the new mexico sun. >> reporter: dan continued to cruise the war zone, willing himself to believe that his daughter was still out there. i'm supposed to be in ceramics. She was released from jail sometime in 2019.[12][13]. For our first episode of 2018, we outline the still-unsolved murders of the West Mesa Serial Killer *FYI: We've marked this episode as explicit because there are a couple of f-bombs. that was not the track michelle valdez was on.ra though dan continued to tape all the usual family functions. Joseph Blea was imprisoned when the bodies were found, but he became a suspect when his ex-wife contacted police. so you feel refreshed. I think there's a Disappeared episode relating to it as well. >> i told michelle she couldn't come over. Paleontologists In China Just Discovered A Prehistoric Egg Fossil From A Nearly Human-Sized Turtle With A Baby Inside, How A 200 Pound Order Of Meat And A Nosy Upstate Cop Nearly Vanquished The American Mob, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Uploaded by >> a third one. the mother road's glory days are behind her now. >> it was breaking angelica's. Trish Hoffman, spokeswoman for the Albuquerque Police Department. from the moment the west mesa murder case landed in their laps, detectives knew they would be chasing a phantom and grasping at smoke. no fingerprints. >> you can't say gun, knife, strangulation. On December 9, 2010, Albuquerque police released six photos of seven other unidentified women who may also be linked to West Mesa. >> right. >> 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. >> if those houses had been built, they would have been built right on top of that graveyard. >> right. In this case, there was almost nothing but bones.. if you don't have faith in your law enforcement to treat everybody equal, then what do you have? so why am i still thinking about this? and i don't have phone records. 2015. Her husband, Orlando Mesa, and 18-month-old son were shot just moments after the pair were captured on haunting surveillance camera enjoying the spring evening. 13 years later, Albuquerque Police have never officially or publicly named suspects in the case. [3] He was incarcerated at California's San Quentin State Prison until July 2021, when he was moved to Salinas Valley State Prison as part of the Condemned Inmate Transfer Pilot Program. for the moments that mattered most to her daughter, angelica. >> i have to keep believing that we'll find an answer soon. 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. proven better on pain. a. with xfinity mobile you can bring in your own phone, switch wireless carriers and save hundreds of dollars. but once -- once, you know, we had that bond, me and angelica,e it was nice.