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

[justthinkin]

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"?

Tom, you and me both want to know the answer to that one!

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?

Hate to say it, but back in those days lots of detectives stored stuff in their heads and not on paper. That really makes it harder to solve some of these old cases.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

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!

It's for tests on my heart...I'm sure I'm going to be fine. Just a precautionary thing with going to the hospital...old fashion doctor! But I will be home on Thursday....so keep on working...I will catch up....and thank you for being so nice...I've learned alot since we started this forum.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Tom, you and me both want to know the answer to that one!




Hate to say it, but back in those days lots of detectives stored stuff in their heads and not on paper. That really makes it harder to solve some of these old cases.

I'm not sure about the above being david....he had been in trouble with the law alot...according to his ex-wife. But I think someone in our forum is going to go get his record...so maybe we can find out what his arrests were. I do know he was picked up for window peeping....and he did do time in prison for a rape...but the main reason they picked him up that time was because he had done something against his parole....and that was why he was sent to the prison.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

​

this doll, do they still have it in there possession?
there may be a tag on it, or on the back side there may be the makers mark that had been branded on the material........if so, with today's technology, they could perhaps determined whom made it, where it was sold, and even perhaps, if it was mailed to someone there in the area, they could tell whom ordered it, and what address it was sent to.

add on...



are we talking about a manigun, like in a department store that was cut up into parts.......is that the type of life size doll we are talking about here?
​

If I remember correctly...which might be wrong! But this doll was just a baby doll..one like we use to play with when we were say 4-5 yrs old. But again if I remember right...they finally said they didn't believe this had anything to do with the girls murder. I doubt the sheriff's dept. would let us have it...and I doubt if the sheriff's dept. of Eddy County still has it anyway...remember they didn't keep much of this cases stuff around...so why would they keep a doll that someone buried out in the desert! JUst my way of thinking here. I might be wrong.....
I will put the article on here as soon as possible.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Newspaper Articles

Will continue these articles soon.

 

[Carlsbad Native]

Police Hunt New Route Newspaper Articles

I noticed on the side of this article, it says something about Feezer committing suicide. Did he? That would be amazing if two people involved with the case supposedly committed suicide. Dan McGrew and Feezer???

 

[ProudSolver]

Below are my thoughts and opinions based on the newspaper articles that Sunshine has posted.

Bunnell told officers he saw a man wrestling with two girls? I do not remember Bunnell making it sound in the police reports like there was any type of struggle when the man was talking to the girls by his car. When someone says "wrestling" it leads me to believe there was a struggle.

Feezer and McGrew both allegedly committed suicide. That seems very odd to me that two persons involved in this case ended up dead. It really would be nice is the suicide note from McGrew was available to a handwriting analysis like Legacy suggested earlier.

I am now interested as to how many unsolved murders, in or near Carlsbad, there were in the previous and following few years and if the same investigators were involved as well.

 

[Legacy]

 

[Legacy]

I noticed on the side of this article, it says something about Freezer committing suicide. Did he? That would be amazing if two people involved with the case supposedly committed suicide. Dan McGrew and Freezer???

Yes - and not to mention Lusk, Parsons' attorney, and didn't someone say Patty Wheeler died of a suicide? What about Silvo Wheeler's untimely death -does anyone know how he died? From what I've read, it appears there are many skeletons lurking in Carlsbad's history and we are only scratching the surface. It might behoove the AG's office to do a thorough investigation. This is embarrassing for Carlsbad, and for New Mexico.

What a convenient way to get rid of someone - assisted suicide, that is. In those days not much was publicized about suicides, making it even easier to bury someone before the locals or even the families had a chance to really question what was going on.

The well publicized corruption happening in Carlsbad had to have run deep and involve many people - and for "suicide coverups," (if in fact there were) to work, wouldn't the mortuary handling all these "suicides" have to somehow be involved? The Sheriff's step father - the man who raised him - owned the local funeral home - His predecessor got his start working at the same funeral home (where he worked at the time the girls were killed). Hmmmmmm....another interesting connection.

Of course, it would be nice to figure all this out and be able to make sense of it. We all know there were decent, hard-working families who probably had no idea what was going on in the higher levels of government and even those in the upper echelon who fought against corruption- or who were too afraid to say anything. The history of Carlsbad needs to be examined - starting with the solution of the murders of two beautiful young girls....

Someone from another board said it was Paul Harvey who was quoted as saying, "If you want to get away with murder, go to Carlsbad, NM." Smart man - that Paul Harvey.

 

[Legacy]

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 /

Right. I mentioned this only because I am really believing at some point law enforcement or other investigative team (where are those cold case cowboys, anyway) will take a look at this board and take note of some of the suggestions that have been placed here.

I will be thinking of you during your procedure next week and will be anxious to hear how you are doing. Hopefully, we'll get a lot accomplished in the meantime, while you are gone, and upon your return. At least we've added some pages to the 41 page investigative file...think of the man hours we've saved law enforcement already.

 

[Finder50]

Charles Feezer did not commit suicide, he died of a massive heart attack while exercising.

 

[Bobbi]

First of all I feel compelled to offer my sincerest apology to Mr. TT. It was not my intention to accuse him of anything but my words came across as so. I am truly thankful for his return to this great forum.

In post #465 Sunshine stated that McGrew's suicide note "was only read by his wife and the 'Justice of the Peace' who declared his death". How could the JP declare his death instead of the OMI? This doesn't sound right to me.

Bonnie Blair stated that "David always had 'spotlights' on his cars", that could have been what the passersby saw when they stated "it was the brightest light I had ever seen". I wonder WHY he always had a spotlight on his cars.

In addition, I can't seem to get past the remark that Patty's mother made at that party when she said "I have a gun in my purse because I know that my husband killed Patty", why would she say that? She incriminated her own husband to cover up for the Blair's, sheriff, judge? Hmmm!

Anne, you are in my prayers and thoughts for not only finding closure to this horrible case but also for a healthy heart and a fast recovery.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Charles Feezer did not commit suicide, he died of a massive heart attack while exercising.

I was told Feezer killed himself over tax problems....glad to hear it isn't correct. I should have taken that off the papers I had...I wrote that on there 8 yrs ago....sorry. I apologize to his family.

 

[justthinkin]

SS1950, the very last newspaper article was too small to be read and wouldn't enlarge clearly to be read with Windows Pictures & Fax. I do wonder what Parson's lifetime arrest record looks like, despite the fact he was released.

Do we know if Bunnell's relatives could vouch for where he was the evening the girls disappeared? It really bothers me that he left town immediately after reporting his sighting to LE. 37 years old is a prime age for committing this type of murder. Do we know what kind of car he drove?


One article stated someone in LE said the murder weapon could have been a smaller caliber, so would that open it up to being not only a .32, but also a .22?

 

[TOM BEYER]

Six unsolved murders in the Carlsbad area from 1957 through 1961 would probably be the highest rate in the entire country during this period. The murder rate in the USA started a substantial increase in 1965 and actually peaked in 1980. This is mainly due to baby boomers (born 1945-1964) coming of age. New Mexico has always had a high murder rate and has been rank second in the nation during both the 1970's and 1990's.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

SS1950, the very last newspaper article was too small to be read and wouldn't enlarge clearly to be read with Windows Pictures & Fax. I do wonder what Parson's lifetime arrest record looks like, despite the fact he was released.

Do we know if Bunnell's relatives could vouch for where he was the evening the girls disappeared? It really bothers me that he left town immediately after reporting his sighting to LE. 37 years old is a prime age for committing this type of murder. Do we know what kind of car he drove?


One article stated someone in LE said the murder weapon could have been a smaller caliber, so would that open it up to being not only a .32, but also a .22?

Can you go up to your tool bar and click on page, then zoom it? that is what I did.

I've also wondered about the caliber of the gun...DB carried two .22 guns in his waistband...but he also carried a .38 caliber....this is according to his exwife.

 

[TOM BEYER]

Proudsolver - from the Estrada investigation, page 9 - "Mr. Bunnell when asked if the girls sounded frightened at the time the contact was made stated that they didn't sound to be frightened." This means they knew the person in the car or at least were comfortable and there was no struggle.

 

[TOM BEYER]

Also from Estrada, Page 9 - "He [Bunnell] stated that he could hear giggles and squealing from the girls." I don't think Bunnell ever indicated that was an initial forced abduction. Also, there really is no suspicious statements or behavior on the part of Mr. Bunnell. Going back to Illinois after giving testimony would be very predictable - after all he's only visiting Carlsbad. DB leaving Carlsbad and going to Texas on the night of the murder is, on the other hand, most suspicious.

 

[justthinkin]

SS1950, I am unable to zoom it from my toolbar. Unless it has some info not given on another source, I can get by without it.

 

[Legacy]

Does this help? You just needed the last one, right?