According to New Mexico State University, the FBI has investigated long-haul truck drivers as suspects in murders of sex workers along major highways, and authorities have reason to believe that Edwards was one such victim. The mysteries surrounding the West Mesa Murders, an unsolved case of 11 female bodies discovered in a desert graveyard near Albuquerque in 2009. for the detective who'd long maintained that everybody counts, the existence of that kind of reward was a sign of progress. >> reporter: no. The killings are called the "West Mesa murders" because the bodies were buried on the west side of Albuquerque. if you are taking asthma medicines, do not change or stop your asthma medicine without talking to your doctor. 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. Thoughts? too many people in pain settle for. However, the Albuquerque Police Department refuses to lose all hope and continues working on it with whatever leads they have. >> correct. it led them to a dead end. "Dateline NBC" is the longest-running series in NBC primetime history and is in its 31st season. >> reporter: they strolled out of her new subdivision, one of many that had recently sprouted up in the desert west of albuquerque, and then over to an abandon construction site, where christine let ruca off the leash to run. don't lie to me." What appeared to be a human bone was just the beginning. -what teach here isn't telling you is that snapshot rewards safe drivers with discounts on car insurance. He even beat his girlfriend, who said he threatened to kill me and bury me in lime. In 2006, Montoya met up with a dancer whom he strangled to death. Christine felt that the bone didn't look normal. h b u te then a third one comes in. some of it didn't. The cases remain unsolved with no arrests. there's a better choice. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. On December 9, 2010, Albuquerque police released six photos of seven other unidentified women who may also be linked to West Mesa. >> when you see those satellite photos and you see the scarring on the desert floor, knowing what we know now, it's very obvious that those look like graves. "They all had families that care for them.". and you never know how your skin will look. It was the most disturbing murder case Albuquerque police had ever seen and it remains unsolved to this day. i just want to know when was the last time you saw her? >> it's kind of eerie looking at those satellite photos. nine. >> i got to know a lot of them. a restless night's sleep. >> it's -- i know she had been to albuquerque at least one prior time. Her family maintains a Facebook group to solicit tips from the public, and the cold case was featured on Dateline NBC. so that was represented in the sketch. but in the end ida was able to make everybody care. love for your gut. [8][9], After repeatedly lying to police, Wozniak finally confessed. After learning about the West Mesa murders, read about the gruesome cult sacrifice of Mark Kilroy. >> reporter: and for albuquerque's homicide detectives there was the most pressing question of all. at 13 michelle became pregnant. >> if these women had been blond, white, and from the right part of town would you guys have sounded the alarm sooner? Two years later a local family of four, the Wagners, are arrested and charged with the crimes. cinnamon elks, missing since august of 2004. but even if those rumors were true and human remains were cooling in the desert night on albuquerque's west mesa, the detective knew, it would take a miracle to find them. searching for clues in a crime scene big enough to be seen from space. >> reporter: it was that kind of gut reaction that led detectives to joplin, missouri in august of 2010. Many persons of interest have been eliminated by means of that timeline, he said. and this desert doesn't give up its secrets easily. i know in my heart i didn't do the right thing, but i knew that the common sense of my brain said that i had to. 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. She also told them that he threatened "to kill me and bury me in lime.". Dubbed the West Mesa Murders, they sparked a frenzy of investigations, interrogations, and media attention, but despite the best efforts of police to bring whoever was responsible to justice, the crimes remain unsolved to this day. "Dateline" aired a two-hour show on the murders a gruesome case where the remains of 11 women and an unborn fetus were found buried in the desert near New Mexico's largest city in December. then august 2008 we have -- we had a really bad rainstorm. >> i was devastated. >> reporter: they call it tough love. and what we hope to happen is that someone that's had an encounter with this killer will. now that two women from ida's list had been identified, jolene had an idea. >> the response was amazing. then five. was a serial killer stalking the women working the war zone? but it was what had happened next that really focused the detectives' attention. looking for michelle. let's exchange phone numbers. >> reporter: as you will soon see, timing, both perfect and not so perfect, will play a critical part in the story we're about to show you. According to Tixier, the department made the decision to bring Lopez back due to her extensive involvement in the case as well as her connection with the families of the victims. >> reporter: and so in july 2005, after a few months of recuperation as a reserve officer, the department offered ida a 20-hour-a-week desk job working missing persons. and at the center of it all was dan valdez. >> and we will see justice. >> reporter: by the end of 2005 ida had five women on her list who were roughly the same age with similar backgrounds. and now on the cusp of young adulthood michelle looked gaunt. Still, authorities have not given up. our girls we posted on the wall. "They didn't deserve what they got. Dateline is anchored by Lester Holt and features correspondents Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz,. >> reporter: it was in denver, another city on the circuit, that detective todd babcock hit paydirt. >> was it possible ida lopez's list was just the tip of the iceberg? 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. >> she was a college student found on a lonely road in texas. because deep within your skin an overly sensitive immune system could be the cause. web pages Ross walked her dog, Ruca, along along a dried-out wash in Albuquerque, New Mexico. so you can move more. and i said, you know, what are you talking about? She alerted the police, and Ray was arrested. Her organization recently gathered the notes from the women it meets with weekly. Decades later, the case still remains unsolved. Theories? heart that day when she wasn't there. >> i have to keep believing that we'll find an answer soon. Wikimedia CommonsDowntown Albuquerque as seen from the West Mesa. at xfinity, we're here to make life simple. Due to the 2008 housing bubble collapse, development on the West Side halted before housing could be built at the burial site. some of them chummed around with one another. aleve pm. >> sit. michelle's -- michelle and cinnamon were stabbed and buried on the west mesa. had spots on her face. >> reporter: the total body count stayed at 11 sets of adult remains and one fetus. But by 2009, when the bones were discovered, development had erased any hope of automobile evidence. -i know. >> we really can't say why. thank you. let's get to be each other's support system. >> reporter: those were long nights, filled with bittersweet memories of michelle the way she used to be, before the drugs took over. All rights reserved, Privacy Policy|Online Content Agreement, Seven years later, one detective remains on West Mesa killings, Albuquerque police release photos in West Mesa murders investigation. Does anyone have any theories or info on this one? She released her statement through Young Women United, a nonprofit where she helps with programs geared toward assisting women in need. for ida lopez there was the fear that her nightmare prediction was coming true. She took a picture and messaged her sister, a registered nurse who confirmed that it was. Barela is the only victim who police say wasn't known to have been subjected to sex trafficking. "In this case, there was almost nothing but bones.". Thats why the West Mesa killer was able to do it, she said Christine Barber, the head of Safe Streets New Mexico, a non-profit that helps get women off the streets. and for them. >> 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. Ominously, Montoya was holding a flashlight when he died while his victim was wrapped in a blanket near his SUV. but what can you do?te you can't be with them 24/7. That way if women started disappearing again, there might be more advocates who notice and help in raising concerns, Barber said. that was not the track michelle valdez was on.ra though dan continued to tape all the usual family functions. It is unknown, however, if she traveled on her own or was trafficked there. "You can't have a colder cold case," Gibson said. Someone called Father Reynaldo at the St. Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe to provide the last rites to a dying grandfather. everyone. The upcoming episode, titled Somebody's Daughter, will air on Oxygen on Tuesday, July 12, at 8:00 PM ET. According to satellite photos, the last victim was buried in 2005. 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. >> 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." On . >> and that's still a lot of people. The toddler peddled a small trike across the couple's driveway and out of view of the camera as Mesaa . Anyone with information on the West Mesa murders is urged to contact (505)-768-2450 or @CrimeStoppersNM You can also contact Investigator Ida Lopez at ILopez@cabq.gov. get $100 back when you bring in an eligible phone. >> how much of your time is this taking? >> i'm freeding. In 2006 there were reportedly dirt trails leading from his trailer park to the site. While the killings were initially believed to be the work of a serial killer, the involvement of a sex trafficking ring has been suspected. you know, maybe we ought to run that list. >> no. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. it was my gateway to making contact with her and seeing her in person. >> you think she came here on her own? >> and i had to tell dan. >> reporter: that he once had a daughter named michelle who was the light of his life. >> okay. and the devoutly religious detective knew she needed all the help she could get. >> there used to be a motel here. make that phone call to us and we can link that individual to these crimes that have occurred here in albuquerque. Being a registered nurse, she was able to tell Christine that the bone looked like a human femur, so Christine contacted the police. >> since her skull was pretty much intact, one of our senior investigators who is able to do forensic sketching started doing a profile for her. a thigh bone had been found out on albuquerque's west mesa. bring in your own phone, switch to xfinity mobile and save hundreds of dollars a year. i'm craig melvin. except their families. and ida lopez couldn't help but wonder if these dry bones were the women she'd been looking for. one woman determined to find them. >> because this guy had complete, freedom or he thought nobody's going to come out here? Despite the jewelry, underwear, and other evidence that appeared to connect him to the case including the testimony of a former cellmate who said that Blea claimed to have known and hired the West Mesa victims and called them "trashy" police have still been unable to conclusively tie him to the murders. and i carried this little flyer in my pocket and in my car, you know, for the last, you know, four years. -, Press J to jump to the feed. Not the clients. >> i needed to know where they were all the time. and all had worked as prostitutes on the mean streets of the city's war zone. but her presence in the west mesa bone yard raised a troubling prospect. >> it's more than just a few. -you're not even enrolled in this class. easy. Edwards was from Oklahoma, but was known to have been in Texas and Colorado before ending up in Albuquerque. when he was active here and, most importantly, when he quit. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. >> this is michelle. all they knew was that he'd killed at least 11 women and that the 2005 housing boom that brought suburban sprawl to the west mesa probably forced him to abandon this burial ground and find another one where there would be no neighbors around to watch him work. out in the war zone there's a new crop of ragged women on the streets, willing to sell themselves in return for a puff of smoke from a glass pipe. >> if those houses had been built, they would have been built right on top of that graveyard. >> do you think we're dealing with one guy here? >> and whatever you tell us, it's no judgment at all. >> there could be somebody up there right now. YouTube/KOATA makeshift memorial for the victims. they pick up a lot of girls. all of her other victims were local. >> did you see her then? >> lives alone or is away from home for extended periods of time. that christmas angelica opened her presents alone, with no sign of her mother michelle. but he saw his daughter. The Dateline episode "Somebody's Daughter" shines the light on Albuquerque Detective Ida Lopez. There has been little pressure on the police to investigate.. so she did what every good detective does. we weren't as close.enec because of the drugs. a. with xfinity mobile you can bring in your own phone, switch wireless carriers and save hundreds of dollars. >> he may be waiting to start doing the same thing again. >> reporter: a few days later lab work confirmed ida's hunch. >> all the stars aligned. by the fall of 2004 dan valdez's calendar was beginning to fill with xs. To this day only theories remained. Details of Disappearance. only activia has billions of our live and active probiotics. -good luck, everybody. the drugs. >> -- your daughter's a prostitute. >> you can't say gun, knife, strangulation. - Investigation Discovery", "Sam Herr, Juri 'Julie' Kibuishi: 'The Perfect Murder' On Investigation Discovery Afghanistan War Vet, California Tutor Killed By Actor In Plot To Have Lavish Wedding", "48 Hours-Killer Performance - Video Dailymotion", "Unusual Suspects: Deadly Intent | Watch Full Episodes & More! Why was the vehicle that took the bodies, as it did not appear the victims were murdered, killed, or executed on site, to the Burial Grounds never noticed? Or, died from other indirect causes, including assault, abuse, or homicide, prior to being funeralized; preped for burial? [9][14] Police would not say how or where they had obtained the photos. i'll take aleve. >> reporter: dan valdez, who'd been wondering for years where his daughter was, saw his most cherished hopes and his most dreaded fears placed on a collision course. >> reporter: desiree gonzalez says she used to hang out on these streets and says she knew several of the missing women and had also heard those same rumors. it's not the call girl. and she wanted to be able to provide them with some answers. >> then in february 2009 came unsettling news. it's fast itch relief. >> fbi's behavioral sciences agents came in, took a look at our crime scene, took a look at what evidence we had. Years had passed from the time the women and girls disappeared, likely limiting available evidence. >> did you ask her where she heard that? One of the victims, 22-year-old Michelle Valdez, had been pregnant when she was killed, and the bones of her unborn child were also found among the victims. febreze finds odors trapped in fabrics (bubbles popping) and cleans them away as it dries. >> i find a girl with the same background. love for your gut. and ida says, "dan." -yeah. >> did you believe her story? and was he still at work? 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. but because doctors caught the cancer early, ida required neither chemo nor radiation therapy. everything was in a pretty contained area. >> she says i have some bad news for you. "he later navigated northward, leaving progressive can't protect you from becoming your parents. >> reporter: this michelle according to her sister camille was an all-american girl with a future as bright as the new mexico sun. >> that's correct. let's send to everyone! There has been very little publicity. Where to Watch Dateline Mystery Dateline Mystery is available for streaming on the NBC News website, both individual episodes and full seasons. bones started to get names. and one of the locations that was searched was right next door to a newspaper. and we got a list of names. and she's alive. >> university of north texas identified jamie barela through dna. NEW MEXICO: It took police a year to identify the remains of 11 women killed in the West Mesa Murders, but they still haven't identified the killer. and the women who work its. Somebody's Daughter: With Lester Holt, Ida Lopez, Josh Mankiewicz. and because her wisdom teeth had not fully developed, wendy knew this jane doe was probably only 14 or 15 years old when she, died. sunrise would bring news of his daughter michelle. >> yes. but you know, you have to have faith in your law enforcement. it's where they needed somebody, and it worked out, you know, for me. than tylenol extra strength. >> reporter: and the rain runoff from the deserted construction. A 2004 image showed a set of tire tracks leading directly to the area. to discuss leads on missing persons, on cold cases, on sexual predators, and on unidentified remains. la la la la la. not all those questions have been answered as of yet. 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. Lopezs investigation found that close to two dozen women with similar profiles were missing. >> reporter: such was the mystery of the women on stal detective ida lopez's growing list of the lost. but the police who arrived at the scene shortly after nightfall soon determined that this was no ancient artifact. Who do they party with? >> reporter: working alone, the detective distributed flyers with the women's pictures at truck stops, convenience stores, even the new mexico state fair. What appeared to be a human bone was just the beginning. Police also saw him stalking sex workers after the West Mesa murders. by 2002 the wear and tear is written all over her face. 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? for all-day, all-night protection. they had ties to albuquerque. Be the first one to comment on this story. and there's a foot chase. >> so at one point at least you're sort of looking at truckers. >> reporter: six weeks after the digging began out on the west mesa, even more sets of remains were identified. Several suspects have been named, but none were arrested or charged. [1] Wozniak and his then-fiance, Rachel Mae Buffett, lived in the same apartment complex as Herr in Costa Mesa, California.
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