NM - West Mesa Murders (2003-05)

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SuziQ said:
Ok, I’ve found ten listed missing between 2003-2005 at the below link. We have 9 bodies (minus the fetus) One body has been identified leaving 8 UID’s. I’ve put asterists by the two I don’t feel fit with the rest. That leaves 8 missing and 8 UID’s. They did not go missing at the same time though. Not sure where I’m going with this yet. Just thought I would post it for consideration.J

http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmalistview.php?wstr=Adult&state=NM&alpha=%

2003-05-30 Brenda Jeen Apalicio

2003-05-15 Monica Diana Candelaria

2005-10-15 Harvey Dale Fernandez

2005-05-14 Nina Brenda Herron

2003-04-14 Christine Julian

2004-10-06 Neil Michael McPhee*

2003-08-01 Alvin Chege Muthemba

2004-03-26 Evelyn JesusMaria Salazar and Jamie Barela (also missing),

2004-03-26 Jamie Barela and Evelyn JesusMaria Salazar

2003-10-07 Joseph William Segur*
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Awesome work SuziQ!
 
Julessleuther said:
That is what I thought of too. In AZ we have a problem with coyotes (people who carry illegals across the border for money) dumping people in the desert, where they succumb to the elements, and many illegals getting killed in drug issues.
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Given the very few facts that have been released as of this time, I am thinking along these lines too Jules. Not only do the coyotes dump in the desert, I vaguely remember that some have even allowed the people they are transporting to die in large numbers (IIRC the back of a truck/van).

So why not take them out as a group and dump them rather than risk being caught after a number of dead are found and it can be traced back to them?

Interesting theory for now.
 
Kat said:
Given the very few facts that have been released as of this time, I am thinking along these lines too Jules. Not only do the coyotes dump in the desert, I vaguely remember that some have even allowed the people they are transporting to die in large numbers (IIRC the back of a truck/van).

So why not take them out as a group and dump them rather than risk being caught after a number of dead are found and it can be traced back to them?

Interesting theory for now.
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This really is the only theory that would explain 9 people missing at once and not having them reported missing. Chavez is still a kink though. But she could have been involved in the smuggling side and crossed someone badly.
 
SuziQ said:
This really is the only theory that would explain 9 people missing at once and not having them reported missing. Chavez is still a kink though. But she could have been involved in the smuggling side and crossed someone badly.
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Then they were either on the verge of death when dumped or contained in something when they died because how do you find 9+ people dead within such a relatively small area?

Lets say they were locked in a container or the back of a truck. Then someone went back and buried them? Or they died in the container/truck and someone took them somewhere and dumped them....
 
Were these bodies buried? If so, how deep? Digging a grave large enough for 10 would not be easily done.
 
Wow, it really does appear to be drug or smuggling related if all these deaths occurred in one incident. What confuses me is that while it is a pretty remote area, it is not completely desolate. This area is on the edge of the state's biggest city which is rapidly expanding, (I mean you can see all the houses in the pictures of the crime scene) and this dump was fairly recent so it appears that whomever did this either did not have alot of forethought, or simply did not care about the ramifications of the bodies being discovered.

The one thing that does not make sense to me is Victoria Chavez, her death seems more likely the working of a serial killer. In addition, on the Charley Project, many of New Mexico's missing women have the following tag written in the details of their disappearance:
"...is one of a dozen women who were reported missing from the Albuquerque area since 2001. All of them were involved in drugs and prostitution, but investigators are not certain whether the cases are related." http://charleyproject.org/cases/h/herron_nina.html

I don't know, my first instinct was that this was going to resolve the whereabouts of many of those 12 missing women, but the circumstances revealed today make that theory less likely, although Victoria Chavez's presence is puzzling in the most obvious scenario of smuggling. I think that more information will leak out in the days to follow that will clarify some of the confusion. Hopefully it will at least, because right now I don't know what to think:(
 
SuziQ said:
I've been following this case and Joel Patrick Courtney keeps coming to mind. LE is pretty sure he's a prolific serial killer, but have not found any victims.

(snip)
Bernalillo County, New Mexico District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said she thinks Courtney may be linked to some other disappearances and wants investigators to examine where else Courtney may have traveled and stayed between Corvallis and Albuquerque and "see if there are any unresolved cases."
(great article at link)

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/joel_courtney/1.html
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He would certainly appear to be viable suspect, if this is deemed to be the work of a serial killer. (although today's information appears as though this is less likely.) However, I'd like an opinion on the fact that in Courtney's case, of the two victims I know of, they were both wholesome college girls. Would someone prey on both prostitutes and girl next door types?
 
Jesikah1 said:
He would certainly appear to be viable suspect, if this is deemed to be the work of a serial killer. (although today's information appears as though this is less likely.) However, I'd like an opinion on the fact that in Courtney's case, of the two victims I know of, they were both wholesome college girls. Would someone prey on both prostitutes and girl next door types?
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With the latest info I'm leaning away from Joel. Regarding a serial killer's type, I know some covet a certain type, but also take victims because the opportunity presents itself rather than the type. A prostitute can be easier had, but a pretty college girl might be more difficult. I'm not sure the stats on what serial killers stick with.

ETA: if LE is solid on the years 2003-2005, then that would eleminate Joel because he was arrested in 2004.
 
Jesikah1 said:
He would certainly appear to be viable suspect, if this is deemed to be the work of a serial killer. (although today's information appears as though this is less likely.) However, I'd like an opinion on the fact that in Courtney's case, of the two victims I know of, they were both wholesome college girls. Would someone prey on both prostitutes and girl next door types?
Click to expand...

Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, did.
 
cynsational said:
Were these bodies buried? If so, how deep? Digging a grave large enough for 10 would not be easily done.
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Officer Nadine Hamby said the bodies appear to have been buried between 2003 and 2005, and authorities believe the deaths were tied to a single incident.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/02/24/nm.bodies/index.html

The bodies were buried, I am unaware of an article that says how deeply they were buried............

*Bolding mine
 
I haven't been able to read all the links, but I can't buy into the single incident! It doesn't make sense to me. If they didn't already have an ID on the one girl I would be more likely to go for it. She doesn't fit. I would like someone to look at the list Suzy did (great work!) and eliminate them first.
 
I'm very curious to know what was found that indicated that this is a single incident. LE doesn't even have full skeletons and only one ID. My understanding is the field was graded and/or tilled, which is what brought the bones up to the surface. Everything had to be scattered. So what the heck does LE know?
 
Good point! It seems pretty early to call it one incident. We've seen in the news lately the mass killings in Mexico and they make no effort to hide it, they are sending a message. I don't see a smuggler bothering to bury 9 bodies and a known prostitute, imo of course.

(And sorry for misspelling your name Suzi, won't happen again!)
 
chicagofa13 said:
Good point! It seems pretty early to call it one incident. We've seen in the news lately the mass killings in Mexico and they make no effort to hide it, they are sending a message. I don't see a smuggler bothering to bury 9 bodies and a known prostitute, imo of course.

(And sorry for misspelling your name Suzi, won't happen again!)
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Lol, I didn't notice.
 
Thank You for the links SuziQ, and for your opinion on how predators might choose their victims, both were quite enlightening. The commercial serial killer concept that is offered by the expert is interesting, but I wonder how plausible. It doesn't seem like somebody would hire an outside person to kill off or hide ten victims who are living lifestyles so far under the radar. If the speculation that the victims are prostitutes etc... is true, what threat would they pose an organization or person to the point that they would pay another to commit or cover up this crime?

I am also wondering if the declarations regarding this being attributable to one singular incident a bit suspect. While it may indeed be true, I agree with ChicagoFA and SuziQ who wondered if it isn't a bit premature for LE to be so sure. Is this something they might put out there to quell the community's fear?
 
Julessleuther said:
That is what I thought of too. In AZ we have a problem with coyotes (people who carry illegals across the border for money) dumping people in the desert, where they succumb to the elements, and many illegals getting killed in drug issues.
Click to expand...

That's a very good point to bring up if LE is saying the deaths are all tied to one incident. Perhaps Victoria knew the coyote or was acting as a translator for a coyote, who killed everyone and kept the money that was paid for them to cross the border.
 
We don't know how deep the other nine were buried but in the first article that chicagofa13 posted (Post #1: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29247408/

snipped from article:

"Victoria Chavez ... Police said her remains were found intact in a grave 18 inches (46 centimeters) deep without clothing or any other items."



That's very shallow don't you think? I wonder if the other's were buried in such shallow graves? Wouldn't take very long to dig down 18 inches, even if you had to bury 10 bodies.
 
An Albuquerque mother say she thinks her daughter is one of the ten bodies found buried out on the West Mesa.
Jamie Barela was just 15-years-old when she went missing in 2004, along with her 25-year-old cousin Evelyn Salazar. (more at link)

http://kob.com/article/stories/S804136.shtml?cat=517
 
The below comment indicates that this may not have been a single event. There is also a good video of the scene at the below link.

http://kob.com/article/stories/S802962.shtml?cat=516

(snip)
Police suspect that all of the remains recovered so far are those of young women. They say they believe all of the makeshift burials were undertaken by the same person in 2004 and 2005.
 
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