NM NM - Patty Pritz, 14, & Mattie Restine, 13, Carlsbad, 11 Aug 1961 - #2

Hurricane said:

I would encourage you to mail it to Vidocq. The request to get them involved has to come from family. We all think this case is solveable. What you have would peak their interest, I'm sure.

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I will look at what I have ready and finish it up...then mail it to the Vidocq group...thanks for the encouragement Hurricane.

Bumping for Mattie Restine and Patty Pritz

Thinking of you, Anne, and all the other remaining family members of Mattie Restine and Patty Sue Pritz here in the early hours of the 49th. anniversary of their murders, and still hoping for resolution and justice for these two precious girls lost so many years ago.

justthinkin said:

Thinking of you, Anne, and all the other remaining family members of Mattie Restine and Patty Sue Pritz here in the early hours of the 49th. anniversary of their murders, and still hoping for resolution and justice for these two precious girls lost so many years ago.

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Thank You justthinkin...we appreciate all your support and prayers for our beloved sister. I continue to seek justice for Mattie and Patty. I feel sure that this case will be solved some day. And with the help of individuals like yourself I'm certain it will be.

On February 14, 1961 Claudette Covey was abducted from Hondo, Tx, and later found murdered in a field about 8 miles from town off the Yancey highway. She had been shot in the head twice.
source:http://www.topix.com/forum/city/hondo-tx/TPF3JUM75FV5T9HG1#commentsPost #3

Ordinarily, I would not link to a topix forum, but this is absolutely the only information I could find on the WWW on Claudette Covey's murder without a subscription to a news archives service.

On August 11, 1961, Mattie Restine and Patty Sue Pritz were abducted from Carlsbad, NM, and murdered. Their bodies were found lying in a field about 15 miles northwest of Carlsbad off the Artesia Highway on August 13,1961. Each girl had been shot in the head once.

On Nov. 8, 1961, Sandra Lee Smith was abducted from Aurora, CA. She had been beaten, shot in the head twice, and left to die in a northern Colorado cornfield, but she survived to name Alfred Wesley Ratzloff as her attacker. Ratzloff unable to stand trial was committed to the Colorado State Mental Institution for the criminally insane in Pueblo where he died, April 4,1974.

Shortly after the attack on the Aurora, CO girl, Ratzloff became a top
suspect in both the Carlsbad and Hondo cases according to various newspaper sources. He was interviewed several times, and refused to state his whereabouts on Feb. 14, 1961 and August 11, 1961, also denying responsibility for the two girls' deaths in Carlsbad and the girl in Hondo.


Ratzloff had a prior bank robbery in 1957 and 2 escapes on his record, one escape associated with the bank robbery the other with his arrest for the crime against the Aurora, CO girl. For someone who was supposedly insane, he had sense enough to ditch the gun he used to assault the Aurora girl which tells me he darn well knew right from wrong, and that the gun would incriminate him.

He also got off the bank robbery on an insanity plea, and was committed for a time. So he already knew claiming insanity would work, and sure enough, he wound up getting himself committed for the abduction and attempted murder of the Smith girl. Pretty slick if you ask me--getting those charges and the bank heist charges against him dropped.

More than likely, Ratzloff was a slick psychopath claiming insanity to stay out of prison, and to avoid having serious crimes on his record, IMO. It would have been far easier back in 1957 and 1961 for a psychopath to falsely claim insanity and get away with it than it would be today.

A few additional sources from Google News Archives:
'DEEP IN DEBT' FATHER HELD FOR ROBBERY

Pay-Per-View - The Sun - ProQuest Archiver - Jul 10, 1957
Alfred Wesley Ratzloff, 38, a Wichita tinsmith, was held today on charges of robbing a small town Kansas bank of $3950 yesterday. 'My creditors kept after ...
All 4 related - Related web pages



Kansas .

Lawrence Journal-World - Google News Archive - Nov 24, 1961
WICHITA Reports that a relative had sighted Alfred Wesley Ratzloff Kansan wanted in the kidnap shooting of a Colorado girl sent officers into a quick ...



Hunt Continues Today For Inmate Of Hospital .

Lawrence Journal-World - Google News Archive - Aug 4, 1965
The Boulder County sheriff's office said a nurse reported giving a ride Tuesday to Alfred Wesley Ratzloff on the denverboulder Turnpike The nurse who was ...

Captive Admits Attack On Girl .

Lawrence Journal-World - Google News Archive - Jan 4, 1962
office said Alfred Ratzloff former Wichita aircraft worker signed a statement Tuesday admitting he had a struggle with a 16yearold Aurora Colo high school ...

There's a book out on the Covey girl's murder. The two co-authors claim the local sheriff's son committed that crime, and set out to prove it. It seemed to garnish mixed reviews on whether or not they accomplished their task.

I posted to that forum, and mentioned an article that appeared in the Carlsbad Current Argus that spoke to the fact that Ratzloff was considered a top suspect in Carlsbad, NM and Hondo, Tx. One of the authors gave me a story which the Current Argus account does not reflect at all. The author claims that Ratzloff had in Nov. 1961, a motel receipt from February 14, 1961 in Colorado, and the motel clerk remembered him. I somehow don't buy that, and considering what I've turned up about Ratzloff, I think it's far more likely, the motel clerk owed Ratzloff a favor or was one of his many, many relatives from Kansas. The newspaper article I saw and which I will try to run down stated that both Hondo and Carlsbad LE interviewed him after his arrest and during his trial. The trial was thrown out when Ratzloff was committed to the Colorado state insane asylum.

I like Ratzloff as a suspect for a number of reasons. He was kind of a drifter, had a criminal mind, and we know for sure he abducted the girl in Aurora, CO. His MO there was to commit the crime and leave the state. He headed for Wyoming, then on to Kansas, his home state. Very few clues were left at the NM crime scene outside Carlsbad, and evidently that was the case with the Covey girl's murder as no one ever answered for that. Ratzloff knew enough to get rid of evidence. At one point he was driving a red and black 1955 Ford of some kind. Another thing I like about him is that he isn't from Carlsbad. One witness stated he saw a car in the field the night the girls were murdered. It seemed obvious to the witness whoever was driving that car didn't realize how close he was to the highway, something a local would likely have known.

I've seen him variously listed as a former aircraft worker and an unemployed tinsmith. If he was unemployed or worked odd jobs here and there it's quite likely his car might have had a near bald tire or two.

There were reports that Mattie and Patty were beaten which is exactly what Ratzloff did to the Smith girl before he shot her.

I'm not saying Ratzloff murdered Mattie and Patty, but I do believe with his background, this makes him a very strong suspect, even more so since he refused to state his whereabouts at the time of the murders in both Hondo and Carlsbad.

Well I goofed. I thought the links would work, but they didn't show up as links. Hmmm. I will go back and get the actual linked articles, and repost later.

Here they are:

Captive Admits Attack on Girl
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=5857,217528&dq=alfred+ratzloff&hl=en

Deep in Debt
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun...IN+DEBT'+FATHER+HELD+FOR+ROBBERY&pqatl=google

Kansas
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...IBAJ&pg=3569,4044230&dq=alfred+ratzloff&hl=en

Hunt Continues Today for Inmate of Hospitl
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=1775,2934168&dq=alfred+wesley+ratzloff&hl=en

Excerpt:
Current Argus, December 27, 1961

Suspect In Shooting Denies Connection
With Killings Here

"....Maraggos (Colorado detective) said authorities at Carlsbad and Hondo have named Ratzloff as a suspect in killings in their areas in recent months, because of similarities between their cases and the Smith Abduction.

Authorities here (Carlsbad) consider Ratzloff...a top suspect in the killings of Mattie C. Restine and Patty Sue Pritz....

....Ratzloff offered no information on his whereabouts on Aug. 13, (sic) when the two ....were slain....."

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The words in parenthesis are mine. Doggone deserves the credit for this post as he sent me a copy of the article.

justthinkin said:

Excerpt:
Current Argus, December 27, 1961

Suspect In Shooting Denies Connection
With Killings Here

"....Maraggos (Colorado detective) said authorities at Carlsbad and Hondo have named Ratzloff as a suspect in killings in their areas in recent months, because of similarities between their cases and the Smith Abduction.

Authorities here (Carlsbad) consider Ratzloff...a top suspect in the killings of Mattie C. Restine and Patty Sue Pritz....

....Ratzloff offered no information on his whereabouts on Aug. 13, (sic) when the two ....were slain....."

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The words in parenthesis are mine. Doggone deserves the credit for this post as he sent me a copy of the article.

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Bumping for Mattie and Patty.

I saw that you had an inquiry on another forum. I will post it here also.

Arkie's Service Station
Prop. James R. Roberts
1502 N. 8th Street
Carlsbad, NM

Ouiser said:

I saw that you had an inquiry on another forum. I will post it here also.

Arkie's Service Station
Prop. James R. Roberts
1502 N. 8th Street
Carlsbad, NM

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Thank You Ouiser for finding this address.
I was told that Mattie and Patty got in the car with this man called "ARKIE" on Church St that night. I dont know if the ECSO questioned this man or not...but I do believe the grounds of that building needs to be looked over. I know it's been a wile since the girls were killed...but this look over needs to be done. Also they need to check this man's records our. If some of these girles workded for this man...then he knew them...

You won't believe this! Call it bizarre if you want. That building started being torn down last week and is gone as I post this. I found out about this today. Now what?

For what it's worth, I knew a man named Arkie Donaldson in Carlsbad. He has been dead for many years.

Ouiser said:

You won't believe this! Call it bizarre if you want. That building started being torn down last week and is gone as I post this. I found out about this today. Now what?

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Makes one wonder....I guess you could say I'm paranoid about this mess....but sometimes things just push my buttons...you know what I mean. Who owes this building? Does anyone know?
Thanks for the information Ouiser.

Bobbi said:

For what it's worth, I knew a man named Arkie Donaldson in Carlsbad. He has been dead for many years.

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Do you know if he worked at that station or not? I've heard several different names associated with that station. Someone named Crabb owned it when the girls were killed. Does anyone know who owned this service station during the time the girls were killed? During the 2003 ECS investigation I was asked if Mattie worked at a store...wasn't told what type of store...probably because I said NO she didn't pretty fast. But I was told that Patty worked for a little store....like several of the girls in that age group....most of them were friends. So that is why I'm asking. If Patty knew this man...she might have got in the car with him . Mattie would have probably gotten in the car with Patty...thinking he was okay. I just don't know though....this is just another lead I'm working on.....
Thank you for all the help .....I appreciate it,

Ouiser said:

You won't believe this! Call it bizarre if you want. That building started being torn down last week and is gone as I post this. I found out about this today. Now what?

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It is bizarre...when we start talking about a certain building or anything else for that matter...something happens. I emailed the capt. at the ECSO...about this report and about the building being torn down...the day you posted this information...but haven't heard from him yet. I just wish someone would answer my questions regarding this information. If the lady that told the sheriff department about this information when the girls were picked up (August 11, 1961) and killed....would just go in and talk with the ECSO again...maybe they would investigate this information again.
I'm wondering also what kind of car this guy owned. It might help with the infomration I have ...compare the information that was given by this lady.
Please if anyone has information about this sighting of the girls getting in the car with this man ...go and share it with the ECSO.....
This area or building needs to be investigated....for slugs or shells....I know it's been a longtime but it still needs to be looked at.

Sunshine 1950 said:

It is bizarre...when we start talking about a certain building or anything else for that matter...something happens. I emailed the capt. at the ECSO...about this report and about the building being torn down...the day you posted this information...but haven't heard from him yet. I just wish someone would answer my questions regarding this information. If the lady that told the sheriff department about this information when the girls were picked up (August 11, 1961) and killed....would just go in and talk with the ECSO again...maybe they would investigate this information again.
I'm wondering also what kind of car this guy owned. It might help with the infomration I have ...compare the information that was given by this lady.
Please if anyone has information about this sighting of the girls getting in the car with this man ...go and share it with the ECSO.....
This area or building needs to be investigated....for slugs or shells....I know it's been a longtime but it still needs to be looked at.

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Received an email from the ECSO and it said they were working two other homicides at this time....so guess they don't have time to check this lead out. The captain said he would talk with the investigator on the case about it...
Also stated he hadn't heard anything from the VICAP Group yet. So I guess everything is on hold as usual....

Sunshine 1950 said:

Received an email from the ECSO and it said they were working two other homicides at this time....so guess they don't have time to check this lead out. The captain said he would talk with the investigator on the case about it...
Also stated he hadn't heard anything from the VICAP Group yet. So I guess everything is on hold as usual....

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I would like to know if someone knows a <remove name> from the Carlsbad, NM area....I would really like to talk with her....thanks for the help. She was a teenager when the girls were killed....around the same age of Patty Pritz.

mod note, please contact Sunshine1950 via pm or email - whichever she chooses regarding this person.

Sunshine 1950 said:

I would like to know if someone knows a <remove name> from the Carlsbad, NM area....I would really like to talk with her....thanks for the help. She was a teenager when the girls were killed....around the same age of Patty Pritz.

mod note, please contact Sunshine1950 via pm or email - whichever she chooses regarding this person.

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Please contact me through my email...thanks