not all those questions have been answered as of yet. >> okay. >> last known police positive contact was in denver. do not use in breeding, pregnant or lactating dogs. i wouldn't say he's a suspect. She had also grown close to the families of the victims by that time. >> so this guy takes photographs of the part of town that you're sort of looking at. southwestern summer heat begins to ease hot air balloons rise like spring flowers over albuquerque and the surrounding desert. They arrested him again a year later as he raped and strangled a sex worker that he apparently never had any plans to pay, since he only had $2 in his wallet at the time. i mean $9000! Wozniak was deeply in debt and wanted money to finance his upcoming wedding and honeymoon. Her husband, Orlando Mesa, and 18-month-old son were shot just moments after the pair were captured on haunting surveillance camera enjoying the spring evening. >> so we were able to, communicate with each other anything that came up. proven better on pain. i couldn't handle it. but that's not the -- that's not what he saw in his eyes, or his heart. -they're very tasteful. >> reporter: the families of the 18 women now on ida's list prayed for happy endings like that one. but she kept coming up empty. >> reporter: -- no one who seemed to know something about the five-year missing persons cases was dialing the phone. after three years angelica was sent to live with dan's mother, who lived nearby, and michelle took to living with a series of people she called friends. >> we went back starting in 2002, and we got the records from our local jail. >> were all the victims killed the same way? [1][2], An anonymous tip to authorities at APD and FBI linked the murders to a suspect from Central America. and i thought, well, i'll write it and we'll see what happens. squeeze me like you've never squeezed me before. >> and this is "dateline." There are so many episodes online but I can't find this one, http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/dateline/somebodys-daughter-part-1-254001731808. nine. >> do you think we're dealing with one guy here? for all-day, all-night protection. >> we're not the only family that got a call saying that their, you know, sister, daughter was murdered and buried out there. >> reporter: this killer had seemingly left nothing behind but a pile of dry bones. i'm sorry, i think you mean roses. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, a severe reaction. only activia has billions of our live and active probiotics. >> and the man in the car was? albuquerque police were looking at the evolving work of a serial killer. a money-making spectacle that draws tourists from all over the world to albuquerque for one week in october. one woman determined to find them. >> okay. if that same individual was here in albuquerque, the media wouldn't even have known about. >> i find a girl with the same background. Joseph Blea was imprisoned when the bodies were found, but he became a suspect when his ex-wife contacted police. The police launched a manhunt for the prime accused, 45 yo Hemraj , a live-in domestic help employed by her family. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. yes, i pray that they're okay. Albuquerque police released photos of unidentified women who may also be linked to the West Mesa murders. Investigators have said that nearly all the West Mesa victims, who were between the ages of 15 and 32, worked as prostitutes . Many persons of interest have been eliminated by means of that timeline, he said. "In this case, there was almost nothing but bones.". but years later his death would be just as tough a break for detectives investigating the bodies found on the west mesa. Police on Long Island, New York, have released the name of a previously unidentified victim linked to the notorious Gilgo Beach murders. you know, we could chase them out, but for me there was always a story to them. In addition to Barela, Edwards, Salazar, and Valdez, they are: Monica Candelaria, 22; Victoria Chaves, 26; Virginia Cloven, 24; Cinnamon Elks, 32; Doreen Marquez, 24; Julie Nieto, 24; Veronica Romero, 28. >> they would say we found a skull that had a lot of hair and she's pregnant. The cases remain unsolved with no arrests. to this day faded photos of women on her list hang on her wall, alongside a line of scripture that reads, "nothing is hidden, except to be revealed." then august 2008 we have -- we had a really bad rainstorm. women very often involved in prostitution, it's not uncommon for them to go missing for weeks or months at a time. but once -- once, you know, we had that bond, me and angelica,e it was nice. "They all had families that care for them.". "It appears that some of the women may be unconscious, again we . >> somebody was trying to send a message at some point. Lopezs investigation found that close to two dozen women with similar profiles were missing. In the preceding decades he had tortured and killed around 40 other women, and Jaramillo knows her fate would have been the same had she not escaped. Many had gone into sex work or had run away from home years before they died. >> the only body that has been identified so far, victoria chavez. sometimes in the middle of her work week the albuquerque detective feels a pressing need, for spiritual solace and divine guidance. but her presence in the west mesa bone yard raised a troubling prospect. Ida Lopez, a missing persons detective from the Alberquerque Police Department, became increasingly attached to the unsolved homicide of 11 women and an unborn fetus, whose remains were discovered in one of the city's deserts back in 2009. >> and sometimes they make the i wrong turn or a mistake.ke >> reporter: shortly after her . >> when you see those satellite photos and you see the scarring on the desert floor, knowing what we know now, it's very obvious that those look like graves. >> the numbers grew. -oh, what am i into? Reported missing between 2001 and 2005, they ranged in age from 15 to 32. an amusement park so he stepped on the dr. scholl's kiosk. flo has it, i want it, it's a whole thing, and she's right there. In May 2008, 13 yo Aarushi Talwar was found murdered in her own bedroom in Noida, India. Jamie Barela, 15 - Jamie was not involved with drugs or sex work like the other ten victims. they had ties to albuquerque. at first some of them were hesitant. According to A&E, Jaramillo and a woman named Christine Barber founded an organization to protect sex workers in New Mexico after the discovery of the West Mesa victims in 2009. Joseph Blea (left) and Lorenzo Montoya (right). that was not the track michelle valdez was on.ra though dan continued to tape all the usual family functions. love for your gut. but because doctors caught the cancer early, ida required neither chemo nor radiation therapy. >> you can't say gun, knife, strangulation. Over time, a number of men have attracted police attention, though not named as full suspects, in connection with the murders. every life is a mystery. >> we don't know if it's somebody that lives here or somebody that would just come back and frequent albuquerque on a regular basis. No one noticed they were gone.. Handout from Costa Mesa Police Department -- Anyone who knew Julie Kibuishi described the 23-year-old dancer and college student from Southern California as kind and full of life. when they looked at old pictures of the mesa. Tonight's Dateline episode entitled Miami Heat will focus on the tragic events that led up to the fatal shooting of Orlando Mesa and 18-month old Noah 'Noa' Mesa, who survived the brutal attack. -i'm sorry? Meet Detective Ida Lopez, bringing justice to missing women & their families. Street Safe was founded in 2009, aiming to ensure volunteers kept a steady presence in an area along Historic Route 66 while handing out clothing and other products each Friday. glad i could help. awesome. >> reporter: the detectives needed a solid tip. and in spite of their example, they can't quit the life. On December 9, 2010, Albuquerque police released six photos of seven other unidentified women who may also be linked to West Mesa. >> i looked up to her for many things. Who do they party with? i took her to a friend's house and dropped her off there. she's been arrested. the boyfriend shot and killed lorenzo montoya on the spot. Trish Hoffman, spokeswoman for the Albuquerque Police Department. >> did you ask her where she heard that? the first words out of this girl's mouth was that he was trying to kill her. you need to stop and smell the roses of savings. Ross would soon discover that 11 dead bodies, now known as the West Mesa Murders, lay beneath. had been booked. Police haven't ruled out that there might be more victims, and detectives still have multiple suspects, Gallegos said. The former fiance of a California theater actor who murdered an Afghanistan War veteran and his friend in 2010 was convicted Wednesday of lying to police in an attempt to protect him from. >> i needed to know where they were all the time. According to police reports, she might have gone by Mimi or Chocolate while staying at the Ranger Motel. Article continues below advertisement any signs that the women knew each other. >> 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. >> you look at how many things had to have happened for these victims to be located. The case remains unsolved till date, with eight girls still missing. >> it's desert. >> reporter: what you have in dan valdez's case is a search you do yourself. Details of Disappearance. grasping at smoke. >> it's -- i know she had been to albuquerque at least one prior time. but she was unable to find the aunt or to pin down the source of the rumor. by 2Paragraphs in Culture, True Crime Murder TV | July 27, 2019, The Dateline episode Somebodys Daughter shines the light on Albuquerque Detective Ida Lopez. apoquel has helped over 6 million itchy dogs get the relief they deserve. >> reporter: some of the women had been missing for so long that ida started comparing notes with a detective in the department's cold case unit. All but one of the victims of the West Mesa murders were born and raised in New Mexico and were Hispanic. Female sex workers are far more likely to be the victims of violent crimes like rape and murder, but communities do not tend to take notice of such cases in the same way as when women from other parts of society are affected. West Mesa Murder Victims Jamie Barela Jamie Barela, 15, was last seen with her 23-year-old cousin Evelyn Salazar heading to a park at San Mateo and Gibson SE in April 2004. and i guess i just kind of wonder whether police and everybody else would have start of stepped up their game a little bit if that had been the case here. >> so you told michelle she couldn't come over? >> the xs indicating no -- no knowledge of her, disappeared, nothing.ledi no word. she hunted the guilty. she was at -- you know, at a hurting spot. if the serial killer who preyed on their city is still alive, he's probably moved on to another hunting ground. [9][22] They confiscated "tens of thousands" of photos from the man, who reportedly used to visit the state fair in Albuquerque. memorial service organized by Street Safe New Mexico. and do you use that profile and rule somebody out just because they're not on that profile? and that's when angelica looked at me and started crying. right. >> what'd the police tell you? The same evening, Wozniak went on to perform in his local theatre production of the musical Nine. and i thought, well, i need to make further plans. i think he's been preying on his victims, has a particular victim in mind. >> it had to be brutally difficult to think of michelle living that kind of life. it's the city's annual balloon fiesta. all of her other victims were local. by the fall of 2004 dan valdez's calendar was beginning to fill with xs. He had actually had over 100 encounters with police in the two decades preceding the discovery of the West Mesa murder victims. The mysteries surrounding the West Mesa Murders, an unsolved case of 11 female bodies discovered in a desert graveyard near Albuquerque in 2009. never heard of her before. >> i love you, michelle. Women living a primal lifestyle are tribal. and there were certain processes that it did pose a concern. http://www.rrobserver.com/news/article_2d7213ea-a0dc-11e3-aa48-001a4bcf887a.html. have a good weekend and have a good night from what is our nbc news head quarters here in new york. except for one tantalizing tidbit. it recommends our best custom fit orthotic to relieve foot, knee, or lower back pain. -he did show us how to bundle home and auto at progressive.com and save a bunch of money. and she's alive. you don't have a school schedule or work schedule, that sort of thing. >> we believe that's him. Flickr/Ken LundOne of the suspects, Joseph Blea, was arrested on Albuquerques Central Avenue for exposing himself to a woman. woof because nothing should come between you and your furry friend especially not allergic itch! They may have been OD's? so he's going to have close contact with these people. >> no. at xfinity, we're here to make life simple. and by the summer of 2009 the fbi and the city of albuquerque were offering $100,000 to anyone who could help them catch and convict the man responsible for killing the west mesa women. and it was i thought perfect timing. >> there's nothing to connect lorenzo montoya to those 11 bodies? Or contact APD at 1-877-765-8273 or (505) 768-2450. read more we approached the vehicle, open the door, the first words out of this girl's mouth, who's a known prostitute, was that he was trying to kill her. podcast: Casefile True Crime. not a lot to go on. >> yeah. [9] In 2010, a reward of up to $100,000 was being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.[11]. >> i have to keep believing that we'll find an answer soon. >> i don't believe so. >> i was the only detective in there at the time. backing you. >> right. ida's return to work would have to be gradual, if it was going to happen at all.s >> for a lot of people that would be the end of police work. we don't know. let's see, aleve is proven better on pain. But by 2009, when the bones were discovered, development had erased any hope of automobile evidence. so it's a matter of time before they go back out. Police suspect that the bodies were all buried by the same person or persons, and may be the work of a serial killer, who has since come to be referred to as the West Mesa Bone Collector. >> how'd she look? West Mesa Killer Satellite Image Credits. [9] Police confirmed that they had cleared Erwin as a suspect. it was not the way that her mother and i raised her. it led them to a dead end. because deep within your skin an overly sensitive immune system could be the cause. >> reporter: dan continued to cruise the war zone, willing himself to believe that his daughter was still out there. >> yes. 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. >> yeah, because based on our experience with crimes of this nature, homicide crimes, when you have multiple offenders, more than one of them, someone's going to talk. and the devoutly religious detective knew she needed all the help she could get. The most notorious mass murder in Ohio's history happened on the night of April 21, 2016 in rural Pike County. Or, died from other indirect causes, including assault, abuse, or homicide, prior to being funeralized; preped for burial? It took nearly a year for medical examiners to identify the decomposing victims, most of whom were Hispanic and all of whom were female. >> we approached the vehicle, opened the door. sad but common, especially for these dark streets where drug addiction and prostitution literally go hand in hand. -what teach here isn't telling you is that snapshot rewards safe drivers with discounts on car insurance. 2015. >> the company kind of left town and just kind of left the land the way it was. >> yeah, i think there's no doubt that you're dealing with one guy. Jan 1 2018 34 mins. According to Tixier, the department made the decision to bring Lopez back due to her extensive involvement in the case as well as her connection with the families of the victims. >> it's like being in a race and somebody has a year ahead start. i love you, hon. The published list also included the names of eight of the 11 West Mesa murder victims . so far all the remains identified had been names on ida lopez's list of missing women. >> even though you knew -- >> even though i knew that it could be going for drugs. All of the women were Latina and all were from New Mexico, except Syllannia Edwards, who was African American and from Oklahoma. "You can't have a colder cold case," Gibson said. >> correct. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts for all-day, all-night protection. She also told them that he threatened "to kill me and bury me in lime.". each x marking another day without word from his oldest daughter, michelle. Case 27: The West Mesa Bone Collector. 'd, and it was her, and they found, you know, she was pregnant. she gets out of her car and comes up to me. The investigators were concentrating, apparently, on the females on the street. [20], Lorenzo Montoya lived less than three miles from the burial site. how do you keep feeling your best all summer long? All but one had fallen into prostitution and struggled with drug abuse, according to police. after months of digging for bones in the desert west of albuquerque, detectives desperately wanted to get on with the work of catching a killer. we came upon it, and it appeared to be a bone. The Disturbing Story Of The West Mesa Murders And The Serial Killer Who Remains Uncaught. >> hi. All they ever found, however, were the bones and DNA of 11 people. on July 20, 2019. thank you for being here with us. By Vanessa R Martinez / NM News Port / It's now been ten years since the bodies of 11 women were found buried on the West Mesa of Albuquerque. memorial came to life alongside the wall that bordered the desert crime scene. it's where they needed somebody, and it worked out, you know, for me. The Discovery On February 2, 2009, a woman walking her dog along the West Mesa came across what appeared. >> all the stars aligned. >> and if he is, it may only be a matter of time. but if one of them had during the 2003 or 2004 festivals, they might have actually seen evidence of a murderer moonlighting as a grave digger. >> i thought this could be it, yeah. They founded Safe Streets New Mexico in response to the threats sex workers face in the state and the lack of attention paid to violent crimes against them. The West Mesa Murders are the killings of eleven women whose remains were found buried in 2009 in the desert on the West Mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States.Several suspects have been named, but none were arrested or charged. Another expresses hope that authorities will find the killer. and every time the phone rang his heart stopped. >> reporter: and within weeks ida's early work of collecting dental records of the missing women and dna samples from their families began to pay off. the development at first, the housing downturn, after that the fact the company leaves, a big rainstorm comes, unearths certain things, and now we locate these victims. -oh, a plaque. All of the women, except 15-year-old Jamie Barela, had one thing in common: They were all involved in drugs and sex work. She took a picture and messaged her sister, a registered nurse who confirmed that it was. >> yeah. >> i just always felt that they were going to be together. t and so that gave me an empathy for them on that part, and i thought, wow, this has got to be powerful. web pages with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis, you feel like you're itching all the time. see a vehicle pick this girl up. Barela is the only victim who police say wasn't known to have been subjected to sex trafficking. >> reporter: the fact is dan valdez had been recording his. >> reporter: cops call this section of central avenue the war zone. and ida lopez couldn't help but wonder if these dry bones were the women she'd been looking for. >> we had gotten a call from a family friend of ours that i grew up with, and you know, i pick up the phone and she's like, oh, my gosh, i'm sorry about your sister. >> and that's more than just a few guys. do you think you'll ever find them? In 2015, Blea was found guilty of sexual assault in charges stemming from incidents in the 1980s and 1990s and was sentenced to 90 years in prison. and she said no, dad. [23], In December 2010, convicted Colorado serial killer Scott Lee Kimball stated that he was being investigated for the West Mesa murders, but he denied killing the women.[24]. what if jane doe number 7 was just the first of many victims the grave digger brought to the, west mesa from somewhere else? The process repeated itself in more or less the same way about five years later. ten. actually, it was my grandfather raised me.ctdehiizedis s co enowas ait wde.lo he was about in his 80s. After learning about the West Mesa murders, read about the gruesome cult sacrifice of Mark Kilroy. i mean he's a wreck without me. Albuquerque murder mystery: Who is the West Mesa killer? >> she came over to the house one day, and i'd given her a few dollars, and she stood up. >> where was i the night before? >> 35 to 50? >> reporter: by the end of that year ida's list had grown to more than a dozen women. "Dateline" aired a two-hour show on the murders a gruesome case where the remains of 11 women and an unborn fetus were found buried in the desert near New Mexico's largest city in December. A&E reported how the group burial had all the hallmarks of a serial killer's actions.According to the Associated Press, February 2, 2022, marked the 13th . 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. -it's kind of like driving with his dad. Christine felt that the bone didn't look normal. 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. Satellite imagery taken between 2003 and 2005 shows tire marks and patches of disturbed soils in the area where the remains were recovered. >> he was going to let her stay with us. American convicted of murder on death row, Dr. Phil: Was She an Accomplice to Murder? but most of the women who worked albuquerque's war zone, fellow travelers who might have helped ida find the missing, were too drug addled to provide useful leads. cinnamon elks, missing since august of 2004. but even if those rumors were true and human remains were cooling in the desert night on albuquerque's west mesa, the detective knew, it would take a miracle to find them. >> reporter: in that time the case has gone from a nightmare for a few flawed souls to a nationwide search for a serial killer, an unidentified man who police believe may not have succeeded in killing every woman he coaxed into his car. but knew it was reality. so i took a picture of the bone. >> reporter: according to police, montoya lured the woman to his home near the west mesa burial ground. tw >> reporter: the toll of michelle's addiction on her t younger sister camille is also evident in dan's videos.il as camille becomes a teenager, she no longer seems to want to acknowledge michelle or even have her around. didn't look like the normal animal bone you find out here. doesn't just deal with missing. hopefully they've been in a commune in some mountainous town or in a rehab center or a jail or with friends that they're actually doing okay. not just because of what happens but because of what might have been prevented, missed, or altogether avoided. short lady. >> i told michelle she couldn't come over. squeeze me tight. to her ending up out here. Fortunately, the detective came back on a contractual basis to investigate the West Mesa murders. So she took a picture of it and texted her sister. In a major plot twist, as they were about to be married, one had something to confess and the other dealt with the fallout. Photos, information and videos from Dateline here.