>> mommy's not a grownup anymore -- i mean, a teenager anymore. MESA, Ariz. - Thirteen days after the shooting death of a 24-year-old Mesa woman, the man suspected of killing her was arrested in Texas, said the Mesa Police Department in a news release on. >> looking at everybody. Valdez disappeared from Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 22, 2004. Dateline is anchored by Lester Holt and features correspondents Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz,. albuquerque police were looking at the evolving work of a serial killer. In 2009, the bodies of 11 women were found in multiple shallow graves on the West Mesa of Albuquerque but the cases remain unsolved. they came up with their profile of who they thought we were looking for, including that profile was a white male. i said all right. >> like?wr >> the drugs. happy birthday that september angelica celebrated her sixth birthday. >> reporter: the resulting column, which for the first time publicly connected the missing women on ida's list with the west mesa bone field, hit the front page one month after the first bone was found. >> it gathered a lot of attention because we had to utilize the fbi. So she took a picture of it and texted her sister. she's been arrested. The fact that all but one of the victims had links to sex work initially helped guide the police investigation for the serial killer they dubbed the West Mesa Bone Collector. But not even FBI profilers were able to find the killer. [1][2], An anonymous tip to authorities at APD and FBI linked the murders to a suspect from Central America. Darlene Trujillo, who was last seen July 5, 2001, and included Sonia Lente, who disappeared on Oct. 3, 2002. how'd he get out?! activia. >> reporter: according to police, montoya lured the woman to his home near the west mesa burial ground. tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems, including eye pain or changes in vision. >> you look at how many things had to have happened for these victims to be located. It's awful what happened to them," Myra Salazar, the mother of 27-year-old victim Evelyn Salazar, said in a statement. >> daddy, can i have something to eat now? memorial service organized by Street Safe New Mexico. all of her other victims were local. (NBC) "Dateline NBC" will air a two-hour special Friday on the latest in the investigation into the murders of the University of Idaho students Ethan . They gathered information from grieving families and locals, which helped clear up when the victims were last seen but not how they died. A prostitute named Christine said the same year that other prostitutes in that area had become more conscious about watching out . This blog features observations from Randy Turner, a former teacher, newspaper reporter and editor. and do you use that profile and rule somebody out just because they're not on that profile? he killed her, wrapped her body. [1] Wozniak and his then-fiance, Rachel Mae Buffett, lived in the same apartment complex as Herr in Costa Mesa, California. and so this case was going nowhere. A 2004 image showed a set of tire tracks leading directly to the area. mind. Daniel Wozniak was found guilty of the murders of Sam Herr and Julie Kibuishi. Dateline NBC special airs Friday about Murdaugh family cases | Hilton -yeah. what if the west mesa grave digger was a prolific transient? Years had passed from the time the women and girls disappeared, likely limiting available evidence. shadows prostitutes. what's going on out here? The serial murders of 11 women in the West Mesa area of Albuquerque will be featured in a two-hour edition of NBC's Dateline tonight. All rights reserved, Privacy Policy|Online Content Agreement, Seven years later, one detective remains on West Mesa killings, Albuquerque police release photos in West Mesa murders investigation. Only one signficant discovery was made along the way, which is that they were all murdered. >> could never trace it back. I watched that Dateline Re-Run last night. flo has it, i want it, it's a whole thing, and she's right there. Investigators have said that nearly all the West Mesa victims, who were between the ages of 15 and 32, worked as prostitutes . It would appear the killings stopped after his death. what if jane doe number 7 was just the first of many victims the grave digger brought to the, west mesa from somewhere else? >> it's like a little dark evil city out here. >> reporter: by now the street alongside the desert crime scene was a media encampment, where reporters were predictably live at 5:00, 6:00, and 10:00. sometimes reporting details that crime scene commander paul feist preferred to keep secret. Michelle Gina Valdez - The Charley Project (danny) every day you're nearly fried to a crisp, professionally! and a few hold hazy satellite images of tire tracks on the desert sand. valdez had been virtually invisible to everyone in albuquerque. there weren't just two women that were missing. that changed when michelle failed to show up for angelica's seventh birthday party. Joseph Blea was imprisoned when the bodies were found, but he became a suspect when his ex-wife contacted police. drive to a remote location. she was at -- you know, at a hurting spot. Being a registered nurse, she was able to tell Christine that the bone looked like a human femur, so Christine contacted the police. hoping that hers had not. could be others. >> she knew that there was events at the house because she'd call and ask if she could borrow $25, she was hungry or whatever. A sinister force seems to be snatching women off the streets of Albuquerque. in late january 2010, nearly a year after the first bones were discovered on albuquerque's west mesa, the last set of remains was matched to another name on ida's list. it was a fetus. >> well, they were shocked. gave her 20 bucks. but she was unable to find the aunt or to pin down the source of the rumor. >> yeah. >> fbi agents also searched this home. >> yeah, i think there's no doubt that you're dealing with one guy. a growing list of suspects. Victims' families weren't involved in planning the event, but relatives who attend will be asked to speak if they wish, said Barber. >> reporter: and for albuquerque's homicide detectives there was the most pressing question of all. -it's kind of like driving with his dad. a camera might figure it out. and you never know how your skin will look. at 13 michelle became pregnant. >> yeah. SERIAL KILLER: The West Mesa Serial Killer-Crime Junkie Authorities believe that the women may have been involved in a large interstate sex trafficking operation. the position was there. Crime. Bones found in New Mexico may be linked to unsolved killings, burials >> reporter: the detectives needed a solid tip. Albuquerque's unknown Serial Killer | Real Life Monsters Way to go ABQ district attorney.. http://www.rrobserver.com/news/article_2d7213ea-a0dc-11e3-aa48-001a4bcf887a.html, Do you have a YouTube link to it? or whatever, see somebody that may appear to be the size of michelle, a small person, and go around the block two or three times and me wondering who they were as well as them wondering who i was. Police on Long Island, New York, have released the name of a previously unidentified victim linked to the notorious Gilgo Beach murders. 13th anniversary of New Mexico's West Mesa Murders - KOAT sure, why not? oh right. >> i thought ida being a police officer was awfully small. >> when they found the second, third, and fourth sets i said to myself i have to realistically look at this, that michelle i'm sure probably is out there. so, let's make this the summer of loving your gut. [6], An extensive manhunt for Herr was launched by authorities who at that point still believed Herr was responsible for Kibuishi's murder and was on the run. Families offer clues in Albuquerque's "crime of the century" Thoughts? there's a better choice. and she said no, dad. n.d then there was the service part, the helping people part of police work. >> i came out here looking for my cousin, and i bumped into cinnamon, and she had told me that -- that the girls were getting their heads cut off and tooken to the mesa. you don't have a school schedule or work schedule, that sort of thing. >> reporter: most of the new girls either never knew or barely remember the women whose places they've taken. before discovering nexium 24hr to treat her frequent heartburn, marie could only imagine enjoying freshly squeezed orange juice. Lopez spent years investigating the case and soon became a significant figure in the West Mesa murders. West Mesa murders subject of two-hour Dateline tonight - Blogger The acting lieutenant of the Albuquerque Police Department's Violent Crime Division, Holly Anderson, told KOAT Action News in February 2021 that police are still working the case, despite not having any new evidence to go on in recent years. all the remains. >> i told michelle she couldn't come over. After two trials, killer of Colorado mom of three with secret life appeals conviction Lester Jones was found guilty of kidnapping and murder in December 2016. After neighbors complained of flooding at the platted site (due to the burial of the natural arroyo), the developer built a retaining wall to channel storm water to a retention pond built in the approximate area of the burial site, inadvertently exposing bones to the surface. All of the women, except 15-year-old Jamie Barela, had one thing in common: They were all involved in drugs and sex work. A North Miami woman bent on revenge was convicted Wednesday of gunning down the ex-business partner she blamed for the murder of her alleged drug-dealer husband. >> and you thought, this is it. -you're not even enrolled in this class. i don't remember the last words we spoke. and you never know how your skin will look. >> it's more than just a few. the killer, whoever he was, and police naturally assumed the killer was male, had a five-year head start. If you have any information about the West Mesa murders, or about other missing women related to this case, Albuquerque Police have a dedicated hotline. and all had worked as prostitutes on the mean streets of the city's war zone. it's not the call girl. this photo, taken the following year, shows even more bare spots. you know, it's stuff you read about. >> your typical profile. >> i know 100% that my daughter is not alive. | Dr. Phil", "Dr. Phil | Actress Accused: Was She an Accessory to Murder? found her and she's not alive. i said it's michelle valdez. -oh, what am i into? Not the clients. Dateline NBC - Police on Long Island, New York, have | Facebook her nose and her eyes were very important. fabric refresher even works for clothes you want to wear another day. There is a reward of up. nine. [4] At the time of the murders, Wozniak was deeply in debt and unemployed but planning a lavish wedding and honeymoon. >> i start going out there and talking to the girls. >> no. At first, it was like any other Monday night, but Feb. 2, 2009, would stick with Christine Ross forever. >> reporter: the target of the search warrant was a local joplin, missouri photographer who had allegedly been in albuquerque to take pictures during the city's 2004 balloon fiesta. >> the response was amazing. so you can move more. The West Mesa murders have yet to be solved. their customers. Edwards was from Oklahoma, but was known to have been in Texas and Colorado before ending up in Albuquerque. yet. Authorities Offer $100,000 Reward for Leads in Murder of 11 Women Wikimedia CommonsDowntown Albuquerque as seen from the West Mesa. >> and just depending on where they're at, you wouldn't even see them up there. forgotten by almost everyone but her. and it was here while posing as a decoy during prostitution sting operations that she learned the raw power of their addictions. Lopezs investigation found that close to two dozen women with similar profiles were missing. West Mesa Serial Killer Satellite Image - lasopahc They may have been OD's? >> and if he is, it may only be a matter of time. career. >> he's got me by the throat and he's shaking me and yelling at me telling me not to say a word. >> investigators are looking for connections. i'm just a normal person. it's fast itch relief. >> in death as in life? >> yeah, that did cross my mind numerous times. All of the women were Latina and all were from New Mexico, except Syllannia Edwards, who was African American and from Oklahoma. Updated: Jan 13, 2023 / 01:45 PM EST. all of them about the same age,m with a similar look.he all were known to hang out in a section of albuquerque so o notorious that cops call it the war zone. never heard of her before. -or maybe he didn't know. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. maybe he knew where the money was going to go. serial killer to catch but also because one set of remains was about to upset everything. >> i was devastated. In 2005, Ida Lopez, an Albuquerque police detective, also noticed sex workers vanishing. The process repeated itself in more or less the same way about five years later. and i don't have phone records. Search the history of over 797 billion paws down. do not use in breeding, pregnant or lactating dogs. help heal your skin from within. >> they would say we found a skull that had a lot of hair and she's pregnant. >> i think they're trick candles. Almost no media coverage and the killer was never caught. There hasnt been the degree of public fear and alarm that you might expect. dateline west mesa murders - tecnologicospeedwriting.com >> all the stars aligned. The 49 girls and women murdered by Gary Ridgway, the "Green River Killer," in Washington state in the 1980s and '90s didn't receive anywhere near the same level of public attention and sympathy as the college students Ted Bundy murdered in the same state in the 1970s. ", "Controversial Show Starring Accused Los Alamitos Killer to Air", "NBC Dateline | FULL EPISODE: Plot Twist", "Daniel Wozniak, Rachel Buffett: 'Dateline' NBC Follows Plot Twists Of Actor In Bizarre Costa Mesa, California Murder Case", "Dateline: Secrets Uncovered season 7 episode 10 ("Plot Twist")", "20/20: 'Mystery in Apartment 410' Watch Full Episode", "Daniel Wozniak case: Full story of California double murder investigated on '20/20", "Community actor kills veteran, student for money to bankroll honeymoon", "The Perfect Murder | Watch Full Episodes & More! i just thought that was the coolest thing i'd ever seen.ce and so that curiosity. [18][19], No official suspects have ever been named in connection with the murders. Afterwards, Wozniak dismembered Herrs body by removing his limbs and head. Blea's wife and daughter claimed to have found jewelry and female underwear that didn't belong to them in their home, and police confirmed this after they searched his home eight months into the West Mesa investigation. i mean, you'll see some out here that they need that fix. >> i think we will. so you get a lot of that. it's pretty much the easiest way to save since sliced bread. >> what about those last seven girls? In 2014, a breakthrough on a decades-old case caused Albuquerque police to become interested in Joseph Blea as a suspect for the murders. [19][21], In August 2010, police searched several properties in Joplin, Missouri associated with local photographer and businessman Ron Erwin in connection with the West Mesa cases. >> since her skull was pretty much intact, one of our senior investigators who is able to do forensic sketching started doing a profile for her. Investigating a 10-year-old crime where the police think that the victim had it coming theres just no incentive for that.. >> i thought maybe she'd turn up a few days later, a few weeks, or we'd -- you know, she'd call us. Dateline NBC to air special on 2014 Fayetteville murder case >> when was the last time you saw her? Police haven't ruled out that there might be more victims, and detectives still have multiple suspects, Gallegos said. Several arrests and convictions in El Paso, Texas, indicated that Albuquerque is part of a broader sex trafficking route that includes the states of Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as the Mexican city of Juarez. for all-day, all-night protection. >> no.n' not at all. Albuquerque detective Ida Lopez took it upon herself to uncover the story behind the remains of 11 women and an unborn fetus, which were discovered over 13 years ago, buried in shallow graves in a West Mesa desert. Ross wasnt sure the bone was human, but knew it could be. lending tree made lenders compete for my business and i ended up with a loan that saved me over $9000 and no more credit card debt. some of it seemed to take. when he was active here and, most importantly, when he quit. remember, 2004 is when almost all of the women found on the west mesa disappeared. that day it fell to 15-year-old camille to fill in for michelle and act as mom. Then, learn about six serial killers who were never caught. don't lie to me." >> i didn't even -- i didn't even want to be around it anymore. University of Idaho murders on 'Dateline' 2-hour special this is storied territory, where native american tribes, conquistadors, and cowboys once roamed. young hispanic women with arrest records for drugs or prostitution. yes, i pray that they're okay. definitely. There has been little pressure on the police to investigate.. all you can do is bring them up, nurture them, show them love, attention, appreciation. terry, can you take a selfie of me? "Here is that mark of 10 years. easy. Case 27: The West Mesa Bone Collector. sometimes in the middle of her work week the albuquerque detective feels a pressing need, for spiritual solace and divine guidance. It plans to tie them to fencing near the crime scene Saturday ahead of a gathering to mark the anniversary. the boyfriend shot and killed lorenzo montoya on the spot. >> probably because he felt safe out here. but occasionally she was able to do some pruning. Hosted by NBC News' Craig Melvin, each episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered incorporates the classic elements of drama and great . YouTube/KOATThe West Mesa murders have yet to be solved. him. by now dan was emerging as the videographer and de facto spokesman for the families. a money-making spectacle that draws tourists from all over the world to albuquerque for one week in october. >> this particular individual made sure that he went back each and every time when he was going to dispose of a body and disposed of it in the same area where the other women were. The police are reportedly willing to reward $100,000 to anybody who provides information on the West Mesa murders. Daniel Wozniak (murderer) 1 language Talk Read Edit View history Daniel Patrick Wozniak (born March 23, 1984) is a former American community theatre actor who was convicted of two counts of murder in September 2016. >> several of these victims were missing for months before anyone reported them missing. SERIAL KILLER: West Mesa Murders | Crime Junkie Podcast Sadly, the rumor was true. >> and i said, well, let's gather these families together and let's get to know them. all the bones. After authorities unearthed the remains of 11 women and one unborn child, they feared the worst: They were dealing with the city's first serial killer. it was a time when a sinister force seemed to be snatching women off the streets of new mexico's largest city. 13 years later, Albuquerque Police have never officially or publicly named suspects in the case. The guy is a total dirt bag and the subject of a criminal case for drugging and raping a teenage girl while still walking the streets. get $100 back when you bring in an eligible phone. Dateline : MSNBCW : July 20, 2019 12:00am-2:00am PDT - Internet Archive >> reporter: one of those women, safira mora, was found alive and well a few weeks after this story first aired in december 2010. right now the killer, if he's still alive, has plenty of it. Deadly House of Cards Air Date: September 16, 2011 tbd a data plan for everyone. in a sense michelle never was a teenager. eight. The serial murders of 11 women in the West Mesa area of Albuquerque will be featured in a two-hour edition of NBC's Dateline tonight. 'd as one of the west mesa women victims -- one of the west mesa women." Where were the males that make up their community? had been booked. >> you think she came here on her own? proven better on pain. >> there used to be a motel here. TV Archive >> but it might not have been a nice thing? long. la la la la la. - Investigation Discovery", "93 - Live At The Grove In Anaheim My Favorite Murder With Karen Kilgariff And Georgia Hardstark podcast", "20/20: 'The Final Act' Watch Full Episode", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_Wozniak_(murderer)&oldid=1142204623, Prisoners sentenced to death by California, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 02:21. a thigh bone had been found out on albuquerque's west mesa. that once she was lost and that now she's found. 12-year-old daughter, angelica. geico could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. >> reporter: but as erratic as michelle had become in recent years, she'd somehow always managed to show up. Ross wasn't sure the bone was human, but knew it could be. there could be others. start with supporting your gut health. local station as finding a femur bone. Lopez was part of the investigation from the very beginning, when the homicides were a series of missing persons cases related to the disappearance of numerous women. davy. -what teach here isn't telling you is that snapshot rewards safe drivers with discounts on car insurance. >> and we will see justice. Somebody's Daughter: With Lester Holt, Ida Lopez, Josh Mankiewicz. Syllania Edwards, also 15, was the only one not from New Mexico. i don't have a normal, you know, regular address. >> reporter: and so she learned, about the lives of the women on the street. michelle had just turned 20. a milestone that was not lost on mother or child. h b u te then a third one comes in. dan knew about some of the arrests.d most he didn't. An unsolved murder case has haunted the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico for more than a decade. The unsolved case received a lot of attention after that. so you feel refreshed. Theories? >> definitely. that's why we're staying with homicidal violence. they deal with all kinds. West Mesa Homicide Investigation City of Albuquerque Christine felt that the bone didn't look normal. >> we figured she had been sexually assaulted and dumped here. >> don't know. 11. it turned out all were women. awesome. >> there's a dad who had a calendar. The names of the 11 victims of the West Mesa Murders are: Monica Candelaria, 22 - Her friends told police in 2003 that they heard Monica had been murdered and buried in West Mesa. >> do you think we're dealing with one guy here? who got an awful skin condition. >> i don't believe so. -i know. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered - Oxygen Official Site We'll do better next time, I promise! >> reporter: as you will soon see, timing, both perfect and not so perfect, will play a critical part in the story we're about to show you. The investigation led the detective to discover at least 17 more similar cases of missing women, whom she referred to as "her girls.". >> she came over to the house one day, and i'd given her a few dollars, and she stood up. and for them. >> you know, i just didn't know. Albuquerqueans dont relate to the victims. and there's so much work that's always done behind the scenes to get them identified. jane doe number 8 had been four months pregnant at the time of her death. She took a picture and messaged her sister, a registered nurse who confirmed that it was. digging, scraping, sifting. so why am i still thinking about this? but at the time it was routine low priority policework. >> reporter: though both dan and camille valdez believe michelle's killer is still alive, dan prefers these days to dwell on the things he knows for sure. Wozniak came under suspicion after he instructed a sixteen-year-old, Wesley Freilich, to withdraw money from Herr's accounts. There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible. >> there could be somebody up there right now. >> how much of your time is this taking? Dateline: Secrets Uncovered Snapped Murdered by Morning An Unexpected Killer Snapped: Killer Couples Final Moments Living with a Serial Killer Buried in the Backyard Killer Relationship with.