NM NM - Patty Pritz, 14, & Mattie Restine, 13, Carlsbad, 11 Aug 1961 - #1

I, along with my sisters, still miss our mother. We have a kind of way to call each other every day, since I am the baby sister, a LEO baby born in August like your Mattie, I am a true sister also, as you are Anne. I'm a mother and sister, so protective of my children and my family also. No relation to this forum, just an intrest, I just knew the hunting area as a child, and the rides at the beach. I just loved the tilt-a-whirl, and the farris wheel, but I don't remember any others. It took very little money to ride, so most of the time we just watched people in the day.

Reading Back to Titus #105, I need to look at again, it looks like a part is missing on the page.

I just woke up from my dreams with more questions, and I took some notes earlier. My step-son was murdered by 3 guys in Bryan Texas, he was working in College Station, and he beat so badly and left for dead, but he was only brain dead and they harvested all his organs to help others for 10 days after, and all 3 of them got away with murder.

My father worked at the mines, and I worked at the mines (wore work boots size 7.5) and knew nothing about this double murder that happened until now, as I was age 6 in 1961, but have some thoughts of my own, after reading all this... when I first moved back, I do remember listing to a radio show on my lunch hour, I was in total shock, since I had just moved back here, about if you want to get away with murder, just do it in Carlsbad New Mexico... WOW, I didn't know what to do.. perhaps I should move back to Texas. I hope you find out the truth soon, good luck with moving forward. I have been searching on the web/net for the sole marked ArmorCork, still looks like 2 words (on the www) perhaps a Canada made sole, but not a brand name shoe, still a woman's shoe size and cork sole, 90% of cork soles are pulled up are for women, could it be a woman's print/cast? The Mine Belt from Carlsbad follows a fault all the way to Canada.. Mosaic is now owned by Canada.

I have been looking for a map of CBAD area for 1961 in all my vintage books and magazines, since I collect them.

Thanks to my older sister, for telling me about this forum, we can't concept why this has not been solved when tests were available, even years ago, tests could be run. I just pray I can wake up with answer questions. That is where I get my handle, being the youngest, All things turn on a dime, I am just a penny.

Sunshine 1950 said:

I think that is one of the unsolved ones that is still on the books for Eddy County Sheriff's Dept. Is this the one where they found the truck driver with two women victims as well?

I don't know much about the Nichols guy...but I can ask Gaynell if you like. She has been out of touch this past two weeks due to a trip...she should be back this coming Monday.

Thanks for the newspaper articles...I haven't found mine yet. hope I do...I have different ones than you do.

I'm fixing to start working on the things you suggested early about who to send letters to regarding the case. I might as well get after it!
thanks,

Click to expand...

Definitely - let's do spend some time with the Nichols family as soon as possible. If you need a mediator, or a third party, to visit with the family, I'd be glad to. I do have some experience in this arena - not that you couldn't accomplish the same thing, but I have several specific questions in mind if they can get on here or if you or they would like to PM me. I could prepare a comprehensive dialogue report and submit it to you, this board and law enforcement directly - it might be good to have an unbiased third party involved --- just a suggestion....and an offer to help. (Ideally, law enforcement will return phone calls to the family so they can share their suspicions directly.)

Princess Rose in her post #204 deserves the credit for offering suggestions of whom to write in this case. She did a great job compiling the list of contacts - I sure don't want to take credit for something she did.

Also, I reviewed the reports - a couple of items to share:

The girls were found laying 50 feet apart, the women in the 1957 triple homicide were found approximately 24 feet apart. (Post #63)

McGrew's date of death was shown as "about midnight on January 4, 1965." (Cathey newspaper article)
(Note here: Handwriting analysis could be done of the suicide note - if it is still in existence. Many advancements have occurred in this field since 1961.)

Sunshine 1950 said:

Your right about Nichols living in Wichita Falls, Texas. According to his grand-daughter he didn't really have a home...he always lived with someone in the family. That he worked at odd jobs, railroad, construction, etc. and wasn't home that much. He did live there off and on during the 60's. Also...he was visiting one of his daughter's when he was in Carlsbad. I had that wrong. Katie Bell Pinson I think...I will have to check with grand-daughter to make sure. This lady lived at 2408 Bonita St. in Carlsbad. Sorry for the mix up. And thanks for the information regarding Nichols.

Click to expand...

This address on Bonita street is very close to Lewis Avenue where Patty grew up and went to school (before the family moved to town). Could Nichols have watched Patty for a while? Katie Pinson (Nichols's daughter) has a son that I believe was Gary and he would have been a few years older then the girls. Just a thought that keeps going over in my head.

Carlsbad Native said:

This address on Bonita street is very close to Lewis Avenue where Patty grew up and went to school (before the family moved to town). Could Nichols have watched Patty for a while? Katie Pinson has a son that I believe was Gary and he would have been a few years older then the girls. Just a thought that keeps going over in my head.

Click to expand...

Do you remember how long the Pinsons lived in Carlsbad, or when they moved there?

Legacy said:

Do you remember how long the Pinsons lived in Carlsbad, or when they moved there?

Click to expand...

Katie Pinson lived there until she died in the 1990's I believe. I think they always lived on Bonita and I think Gary lived there his entire life. I will do some research.

Found this information on the Internet:

Katie Bell Pinson
Birth 16 Sep 1922
Death 13 Nov 1995

SS # 463-18-0724
Lived in:
Lubbock, TX
Carlsbad, NM
Abilene, TX
Abernathy, TX


Relatives
Gary Pinson
W Z Pinson
David Ray Pinson
Wanda A Pinson
Pamela Pinson

"I want to crawl away and die." These haunting words of Mattie's mother really represent this case. After 48 years still so tragic.

Legacy, thanks so much for finding all the newspaper articles and posting them. Next to Sushine's posting of the Estrada investigation, the at-the-time articles have been the best information on this case.

Regarding the ABQ Journal article of 9/14/61 - "A 20-year-old Carlsbad youth was released to the custody of his parents. He was released on condition his parents take him to ABQ for a psychiatric examination. ...results of the lie detector test were inconclusive." Is this DB? A 20 year-old is not a youth, but a man. Was he ever taken for a "psychiatric exam"?

From the Estrada files - "Chief McCandless produced a green hanging file that contained some 41 documents that consisted of letters, a statement, evidence sheet, a catalog of guns, 12 pictures, and 1 newspaper clipping." SAY WHAT? A case of this type (involving thousands of interviews) should have a minimum of three file boxes full of thousands of documents. One puny little hanging folder doesn't show a sloppy investigation, but a non-existent one. Where is the rest of it?

Legacy said:

Definitely - let's do spend some time with the Nichols family as soon as possible. If you need a mediator, or a third party, to visit with the family, I'd be glad to. I do have some experience in this arena - not that you couldn't accomplish the same thing, but I have several specific questions in mind if they can get on here or if you or they would like to PM me. I could prepare a comprehensive dialogue report and submit it to you, this board and law enforcement directly - it might be good to have an unbiased third party involved --- just a suggestion....and an offer to help. (Ideally, law enforcement will return phone calls to the family so they can share their suspicions directly.)

Princess Rose in her post #204 deserves the credit for offering suggestions of whom to write in this case. She did a great job compiling the list of contacts - I sure don't want to take credit for something she did.

Also, I reviewed the reports - a couple of items to share:

The girls were found laying 50 feet apart, the women in the 1957 triple homicide were found approximately 24 feet apart. (Post #63)

McGrew's date of death was shown as "about midnight on January 4, 1965." (Cathey newspaper article)
(Note here: Handwriting analysis could be done of the suicide note - if it is still in existence. Many advancements have occurred in this field since 1961.)

Click to expand...

Thanks Legacy for all the help...yes I would like to have some one with experience in this type of stuff to help me out. I will try to get Gaynell this next week. I'm going in the hospital on Tues. so I won't be available till Thursday or so....but I will be back....
I hate that I'm having these health problems right in the middle of this...but the body doesn't stop does it?

I don't even know how to get the letter that McGrew wrote...I understand they didn't let anyone read it...just his wife and the justice of peace that declared it a suicide. But I have always wondered about it...was it type written or hand written? Surely they would have a copy of it in his police case...wouldn't the Carlsbad City Police handle that or would the Sheriff's dept,. handle their own /

Carlsbad Native said:

This address on Bonita street is very close to Lewis Avenue where Patty grew up and went to school (before the family moved to town). Could Nichols have watched Patty for a while? Katie Pinson (Nichols's daughter) has a son that I believe was Gary and he would have been a few years older then the girls. Just a thought that keeps going over in my head.

Click to expand...

Gary Pison was the son. He died in prison. I was told this by the grand-daughter. Her name is Gay Nell. She lives in Houston, Tx. I will be getting in touch with her some time this next week. Hopefully she can answer some of these questions. I hope she will try and get on this forum again.

TOM BEYER said:

From the Estrada files - "Chief McCandless produced a green hanging file that contained some 41 documents that consisted of letters, a statement, evidence sheet, a catalog of guns, 12 pictures, and 1 newspaper clipping." SAY WHAT? A case of this type (involving thousands of interviews) should have a minimum of three file boxes full of thousands of documents. One puny little hanging folder doesn't show a sloppy investigation, but a non-existent one. Where is the rest of it?

Click to expand...

Good question Tom. I asked that myself...Estrada told me when he went looking for the rest of the files...he found the box that contained the clothing and slides and some of the items had water damage and the rats had eaten up. So I don't really know what they had....I do know that they sent Mattie's clothing and at least one specimen (slide maybe) to the forensic labs in California for the DNA testing they did. When Estrada retired I personally sent Sheriff Kent Waller an e-mail and asked him to please take good care of the existing evidence....to not let it get destroyed or lost...of course...he didn't acknowledge my request.

TOM BEYER said:

"I want to crawl away and die." These haunting words of Mattie's mother really represent this case. After 48 years still so tragic.

Click to expand...

And that's pretty much what she did. Our mother was never the same after Mattie was killed. She wouldn't talk for days...someone had to be at our house for months after the girls were killed to help with my little brother (8 months old). My dad had to work to support the family, so that left family and other friends that came into our house to help.
Our mother would barracade the house at night. She would push furniture in front of the doors. She nailed the windows down throughout the house...that was done to keep the wierdo's out...
So you can see she did pretty much curl up and die herself. She was never the Mother we had before these horrible murders happened.

Sunshine 1950 said:

And that's pretty much what she did. Our mother was never the same after Mattie was killed. She wouldn't talk for days...someone had to be at our house for months after the girls were killed to help with my little brother (8 months old). My dad had to work to support the family, so that left family and other friends that came into our house to help.
Our mother would barracade the house at night. She would push furniture in front of the doors. She nailed the windows down throughout the house...that was done to keep the wierdo's out...
So you can see she did pretty much curl up and die herself. She was never the Mother we had before these horrible murders happened.

Click to expand...

This just breaks my heart. I can not even imagine losing a child. God's Blessings and continued condolences. You will be in our prayers while you are in the hospital ...Sunshine.

I think Martha Nelson married Gary Pinson...she had a brother names Myron Nelson. I think they were all pretty close.

Carlsbad Native said:

This just breaks my heart. I can not even imagine losing a child. God's Blessings and continued condolences. You will be in our prayers while you are in the hospital ...Sunshine.

Click to expand...

I plan on being around for a while yet...but thanks for the prayers and everything else CBad Native.

fish1966 said:

I think Martha Nelson married Gary Pinson...she had a brother names Myron Nelson. I think they were all pretty close.

Click to expand...

From what I understand about Gary Pinson....he had a police record too. Might look him up if anyone lives in Carlsbad. He supposedly got killed while he was in prison. A family member (Pinsons) told me this information.

25 Jul 1957 Reno Evening Gazette NV Front Page - 1

SS1950, sorry to hear you're going into the hospital. Hope it's not too serious, and that you will be back with us soon after!

25 Jul 1957 Reno Evening Gazette Front Page 2