Top 10 Facts About the West Mesa Murders

Top 10 Facts About the West Mesa Murders

The discovery of 11 bodies in Albuquerque, New Mexico, sent several families into despair. The 11 women were  Murdered between  2001 and 2005. New Mexico’s West Mesa victims were later buried in the desert.

Sadly, The females ranged between 15 to 32 years. Medical examiners took almost a year to identify the rotting victims, all of whom were female and mostly Hispanic. Some of the victims were believed to be either drug addicts or prostitutes.

Investigators think a serial murderer was responsible for the discovery of the deaths of eleven women in 2009.Although a number of suspects have been named, none have been found or face charges. Although a serial killer was previously thought to be responsible for the killings, a sex trafficking network has since been suspected of being involved.

Here are the Top 10 Facts About the West Mesa Murders;

1. The Police Regarded each Victim as being “High Risk”

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Police regarded all of the victims as being “high risk.” Homeless people, sex workers, drug addicts, and people who fit into one or more of these categories are examples of high-risk persons. These people frequently encounter dangerous circumstances due to their lifestyle or line of employment, making them easy targets for violent crimes.

2. Eleven Dead  Women Were Discovered Dispersed Across The 92-Acre Property

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When the investigators visited the site they were really shocked by the manner in which the victims were buried. Shocking, the 11 bodies were not buried in a single mass grave. However, the bodies of the 11 woken and one unborn child were discovered dispersed throughout a barren, uninhabited piece of land.

3. It Took some Time for Law Officers to Find all of the Bodies

Officers had to take a long to recover all of the bodies. This is because of how the bodies had been dispersed across the 92-acre property.

The law Officers had another difficult task of identifying each of the bodies. They realized that most of the victims had been lost for a long time. Amazingly. The Officers were finally able to identify the bodies of the women 11 women.

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4. A Woman who was out on a Walk made the Initial Discovery of the Mass graves

In February 2009, Christine Ross and her dog Ruca were strolling along the undeveloped West Mesa neighborhood of Albuquerque, New Mexico. While out for a walk, Ruca discovered a bone in the sand.  Upon first glance, Christine realized the bone did not like the typical bones Ruca had previously discovered. Animal remains can be found scattered around the desert.

Thus, she took a photo of the bone and sent it to her sister, a nurse. The nurse confirmed that the bone belonged to human remains. She informed the police about the incident.

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5. One of the Victims  of the West Mesa Murders was not from Albuquerque

Out of the 11 victims, only one girl was not from the neighborhood. Syllania Edwards was 15 years old when she met her death. She was the only African American victim of the murders.

6. Satellite Imagery was used to Determine how and when the Soil was Disturbed

The police used Satellite imagery to know how and when the soil was disturbed on the various graves. Through the satellite footage, law enforcement investigators were able to determine the general years that the ground had been disturbed where the bones were discovered.

The investigators even found tire traces of events that led up to and around several of the burial grounds that occurred between 2003 and 2005. In those pictures, there were also indications of soil movement, which was probably caused by the digging of the tombs.

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7.A 22 years Victim was Four Months Pregnant at the time of her Death

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Michelle Valdez was one of the victims of these mysterious murders. Unfortunately, the 22-year-old was four months pregnant at that time. Moreover, When she vanished, she was the mother of a little daughter.

8.A Reward of $100, 000 was Being Offered for Information about the Suspect

In relation to the homicides, no formal suspects have ever been named. However, police officers announced a reward of $ 100, 000 to anyone who has any information about the suspect so as to arrest and convict whoever committed the mysterious murders.

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9. Joseph Blea Was a Potential Suspect

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In relation to the murders, a number of men have drawn the interest of law enforcement over time, albeit they have not yet been named as suspects in full. Because of his propensity for chasing prostitutes in Albuquerque’s East Central district, Blea had previously caught the attention of the police.

The wife of Joseph Blea thought he might be the West Mesa Bone Collector. The wife thought that he is the suspect after finding some jewels in their home that was not their daughter’s. Moreover, a pile of women’s lingerie was discovered in their backyard shed.

Electrical tape and rope were found in his car when the police eventually arrested him and brought him in for questioning. However, police found that he was not connected with the murders.

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10. One of the Suspect was Searching for the Missing Women before the Discovery of the Graves

Prior to the discovery of the bones, alleged murderer Fred Reynolds was looking for the Lost Ladies. The remains of Doreen Marquez, the victim, was one of the numerous missing women that Reynolds, a former heroin addict, was allegedly searching for before he passed away. Fred Reynolds, who passed away at the beginning of 2009 from natural causes, left behind indeed a mystery.

The West Mesa Murders earned the title of New Mexico’s most horrible murder case. This tragedy is made much more heartbreaking by the fact that many of the victims had their own children who were abandoned and would never again see their mothers. Till today the suspect is yet to be arrested and convicted.

2010 saw George Walker, an Albuquerque-based private eye, start getting texts from someone claiming to know the West Mesa suspect identity. The murderer himself is thought to have sent the emails and phone messages.Law enforcement has not yet identified the individual who has been leaving the notes.