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

[Pecos45]

Does anyone know how far a distance it is from where the girls were found to the area DB used to frequent for his "kegger parties?" I suppose it would depend on where in RA and near Lake Avalon the parties were held.

Would these parties have involved campfires and/or an area of burned trees? I'm somewhat eluding to the medium/profiler's comments that came from Estrada's visit to her, but that is not my only reason. I have been very curious about her comments, however. We always had fires at the few parties of this nature I attended - mostly for light and partially for warmth.

I'll give you a guess of 5 miles from the crime scene to Rocky Arroyo, although the RA area goes on for several miles.

Lake Avalon is actually closer to Carlsbad than RA. I never drove out to Avalon so can't give you exact mileage.

Regarding the fires: Everyone that goes out to these areas builds a fire, for heat, light, cooking or just to sit around and party. Quite often the fire sites are used over and over by people. So if you're thinking of finding a clue there, forget it.

Trees are at a premium and few and far between in southeastern NM. The usual firewood is mesquite roots. Burns great. Cooks great.

Trees in the RA area I believe are mostly big cottonwood trees and for the most part people don't mess with them. Mesquite roots and such are easier and better plus you really need a chainsaw to do much with cottonwood tree. They get big.

Few trees of any kind around Lake Avalon.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

I guess I thought this was two different friends, but it was Clifford who went by the nickname of Buddy, right? I was mentioning the two friends, but I see now that you're talking about just one friend. Sorry for the misunderstanding and wording of some of my subsequent posts.

No...Clifford Eugene N Nickname was Buddy
I'll PM you the rest.

 

[Legacy]

I'll give you a guess of 5 miles from the crime scene to Rocky Arroyo, although the RA area goes on for several miles.

Lake Avalon is actually closer to Carlsbad than RA. I never drove out to Avalon so can't give you exact mileage.

Regarding the fires: Everyone that goes out to these areas builds a fire, for heat, light, cooking or just to sit around and party. Quite often the fire sites are used over and over by people. So if you're thinking of finding a clue there, forget it.

Trees are at a premium and few and far between in southeastern NM. The usual firewood is mesquite roots. Burns great. Cooks great.

Trees in the RA area I believe are mostly big cottonwood trees and for the most part people don't mess with them. Mesquite roots and such are easier and better plus you really need a chainsaw to do much with cottonwood tree. They get big.

Few trees of any kind around Lake Avalon.

Don't worry, Pecos45, I wasn't "thinking of finding a clue there" in the firepit this many years later. Thanks for your response otherwise. You always add such detail to your posts, which makes for very enlightening reading.

 

[Pecos45]

Legacy...hope springs eternal and I know all of us are frustrated to the Twilight Zone by the bungling on this case. How I wish someone could find or think of something that would help. I'm afraid all my info is rather dated. I don't think I've stepped foot in Carlsbad in a couple of years.

 

[Bobbi]

Something that I don't understand is why an ambulance had taken Mattie's body and her brother Bill saw her face through the window. Seems to me that the OMI van would have the bodies being that the girls were already dead, and their faces should have been covered with a white sheet.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Something that I don't understand is why an ambulance had taken Mattie's body and her brother Bill saw her face through the window. Seems to me that the OMI van would have the bodies being that the girls were already dead, and their faces should have been covered with a white sheet.

Bobbi the van or whatever you want to call it...was from the West Funeral Home...now I'm finding out some of the Hawkins relatives owned that funeral home...
One of the elected sheriff's in Eddy County worked at that funeral home when we were kids. R. Anaya worked there when we were kids...and then later he was elected sheriff for that county.

 

[Pecos45]

Who were the Blairs? What was their social standing in the community? WDB was a miner or worked for one of the mines at the time. Lots of people did back then. But precious few of them were paid enough to be more than lower middle class folks.

Were the Blairs somehow more? Did someone in their family somehow have money and influence? I can't see them as community "power players."

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Who were the Blairs? What was their social standing in the community? WDB was a miner or worked for one of the mines at the time. Lots of people did back then. But precious few of them were paid enough to be more than lower middle class folks.

Were the Blairs somehow more? Did someone in their family somehow have money and influence? I can't see them as community "power players."

I don't know much about them...but someone on here said that AB had money from her mother's estate. But again...who knows. If WB was just a miner...I doubt they had more than the middle class of people had...AB was a nurse I understand...RN or lower I don't know. They didn't appear to live high on the hog as they say...but I was just a kid back then and I know my family should of had more...but my dad wasn't interested in getting ahead at the time Mattie was killed.
It would be nice if someone could come on here and tell us about the families involved...WDB & AB and then their son DB.

 

[Clover1]

Charles Titus died October 24, 2009. His obituary is in the Pecos Enterprise, October 27, 2009.

 

[fish1966]

ss1950, are you on here now?

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Charles Titus died October 24, 2009. His obituary is in the Pecos Enterprise, October 27, 2009.

Clover could you put a link on here for I can find Charles obituary? I have looked high and low and can't find his obituary.

 

[Clover1]

Did this work?

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Did this work?

Clover1 thank you so much for the link. I'm truly sorry Mr. Titus has passed away. I enjoyed talking with him for over two years.

 

[fish1966]

Sympathy is extended to the Titus family.

 

[Bobbi]

I find CT's obituary very odd that it stated "he worked on a 40 year old case". Why did his family feel the necessity to include that or did he write his own obituary? With all due respect I find that statement to be highly unlikely and a contradiction of the truth.

 

[Pecos45]

I find CT's obituary very odd that it stated "he worked on a 40 year old case". Why did his family feel the necessity to include that or did he write his own obituary? With all due respect I find that statement to be highly unlikely and a contradiction of the truth.

I think that was CT's life...the endless pursuit of self-aggrandizement. It was all about him. Doing anything positive for Patty and Mattie would have only been another little certificate on his wall...or maybe a movie contract.

Forgive me for not grieving for him.

 

[Tigi]

Clover1 thank you so much for the link. I'm truly sorry Mr. Titus has passed away. I enjoyed talking with him for over two years.

Hello Sunshine 50
Last week as I searched to find out some information in Pecos, I found this link. And over the past several days have scanned through every posting and thread. I have been deeply sorry for what happened to Patty and Mattie and have heard about this for a long time. I did not realize that there was this support that you had and it was “alive” daily, still to this degree. I know that this changed you and your family’s life forever. There IS justice and it may not be visible on this earth to YOU but it is there. People like that do not have peace.

When I put the “40 year old case” in the paper, it was out of honor to my dad, Charles Titus. I know that he passed with this still in his thoughts. He had a heart for this case as I think you probably must have known if you had the 2 years of contact with him. This happened at the beginning of his Law Enforcement career and he talked about it even towards the end. My conclusion is that there was corruption but you know that there has to be the EVIDENCE to prove it. With evidence covered up and destroyed that is why it is thought to be unsolvable as we see it. If somehow by the pure grace of God HE reveals it, then justice can be served on this earth. But woe to these people on judgment day. Some may think that Daddy was a part of this cover up and woe to them as well simply because they have spent some unnecessary time in their heads chasing those rabbits. I see how speculation and deception can really take off.

I wish I knew about this while he was still alive because I could have simply asked him the questions that everyone has. I regret that I did not ask more questions and take more interest in his line of work. We built our relationship on other things outside of his law enforcement. He knew that I did not like to know all of the “stuff.”

Thank you Fish1966 for your sympathy. I receive that. When I got the call from the Pecos Police Department, I was in Dallas working. I quickly packed and within the hour drove back home where my husband was ready to head to Pecos. It was a long haul and we went straight to the funeral home where the gracious people met us. I did not realize all that would be involved along with the fact that I had to write the obituary and meet a deadline since the paper only comes out of Tues and Thursday. But, I began putting thoughts together trying to remember things about daddy to best describe him. (I wished I’d listened more, I wish I’d paid attention more, I wished I’d ask more questions and cared more bout the answers… this all went through my mind and it was too late.) It was just ME to try and gather thoughts about his life. I ended with that statement. Perhaps I should have worded it differently but I did not know what I know now about these threads and postings. Please do not waste any time speculating about what the family meant by putting that or if he wrote his own obituary. I was the family. I put that. It was me, not him. The news of loosing him hit me hard and I was doing what I needed to do to make everything special and honorable to him and best describe his life, his heart and his interest. That’s it, that’s all.

This case touched everyone and still does as you well know. Although I did not know much details like I know now, and I regret that, because he could have explained it to me. I just kept my distance from any details of his work. But I do know, he had a heart for those little girls. I see how speculation can chase those rabbits that are not even there. One person said that they went to the site recently and took his dogs and there were not any rabbits. I thought right; there are not rabbits and some needs to stop chasing phantom rabbits. There is TRUTH and my prayer is nothing but support for you that you will continue in the peace and life that Gods pure grace has for us on this earth. TRUTH does reign.

I wondered if I would contact you…. but here ya go. I chose this time since this has been so out in the open with such slander towards my dad. Let’s say I just had enough. He was a good man with a good heart for justice. Law Enforcement was his life. I deeply regret the loss of your sister and her friend. Words can not even describe the detestable act of taking precious lives.

God Bless you Sunshine 50. I am not sure I can read much more on your link simply because of the slander of my dad but I want you to know that I send blessing and peace to you and to the ones that are truly your support. May God show you the ones to lean on and the ones to ignore, don’t chase their rabbits. It will just wear you out.


In Gods Grace and Mercy – Truth Reigns – Deut. 32:4

Tigi

 

[Legacy]

Tigi, your father's legacy shines through in you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and this very moving tribute to your father. It speaks well of you, and in that light of your father who raised you. I was very sorry to hear of his death.

If I have ever been guilty in your opinion of portraying your father in a negative light or said anything to hurt you, please accept my humblest apologies. I think the few times I personally mentioned him, it was only in an effort to determine any connection - familial or otherwise - between your father and the WDB family. Unlike some, my suspicion lies in another direction entirely, but I've tried to look at all the possibilities regardless...as we've tried to do as a group. We have all been trying to fit the pieces together, grasping at straws at times, for anything that might help our friend, SS1950. Knowing law enforcement as I do, in some way I think your father would understand our questions when considering the information we have been provided in the reports of the ECSO.

I do wish you could stay on to help finish what your father started in terms of his deep, undying interest in this case. I think I speak on behalf of all of us, when I say we would graciously welcome you. You could be of great help in unraveling (to the best of our ability) the details of this horrible crime against the children. I had always secretly hoped your father would join us here to set the record straight and to share all he knew about this crime.

This board is all SS1950 has in terms of assistance and support in finding the answers and I know it has meant so much to her to have the participation it has received. Please help her with whatever you can share because at this point, any extra knowledge is good knowledge. Possibly your father's case files and personal belongings could provide additional details, or maybe there's someone in your family he would have shared information with who could help.

Again, my deepest sympathies in the loss of your father.

 

[flipdullpenny]

Thank you for joining this tread Tigi, I am deeply sorry for the loss of your father. BTW since you have just found this sleuth, and so much to read, we wish you had had more time to ask more questions, and help with some answers. Your Dad was mentioned a lot, some the good, the bad and the ugly. I would like to know if he knew the Blair family and if there were any ties. I will ask you, how they had a HOLD on LE. I wish you well, and with deepest sympathy. We would like nothing more than to catch the rabbit, and solve this case. I think it all boils down to the rabbit hunt, the statements, and finding the bodies, and how the newspaper could be so off from the beginning, at least we have a picture of WDB... Do you have any pictures of DB or can find one?

 

[fish1966]

Tigi, as sorry as I am to hear of the passing of your father, I would like to know if you would consider passing all the bits that your dad has collected about Mattie and Patty's death to SS1950. You see Patty was my best friend in elementary school and this happened to girls while I was on vacation with my parents. We opened the newspaper to see the horror of what happened to two innocent girls and I just never was able to forget. I can only try to understand how this would effect a young man that your dad was at the time. Both SS and I are trying to come get to a place that we can let go and let God have it. He may unknowing left us a little knowledge that would either help us do that or take us quicker to that place. Thank you for considering my request.