ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – In the desert outside Albuquerque, hikers have sometimes stumbled upon human remains partially buried under the hardy scrub and hard-baked dirt. But few people could have imagined the crime scene now emerging: The bones of at least 13 people have been uncovered on the site of an abandoned housing development. The first remains were discovered Feb. 2, when a woman walking her dog found a human rib bone on the site of a subdivision under construction. The grisly discovery last month caused authorities to reopen dozens of cold cases involving missing prostitutes, some of whom vanished as much as 20 years ago. Since the bones came to light, forensic experts, detectives, anthropologists and medical investigators have raked tediously through mounds of dirt for the next sliver of bone or clump of human hair.
Police believe one person or group of people is responsible for the slayings, but they have been reluctant to make comparisons to any existing serial murder cases. So far, only two sets of remains have been identified. But detectives are reviewing cases involving dozens of women who vanished from the city over the last two decades. All of them were suspected of being drug addicts and prostitutes. Of particular interest are 16 women reported missing between 2001 and 2006.
The two bodies identified so far were Michelle Valdez and Victoria Chavez, both women who disappeared within months of each other in 2004. Chavez was about 28 when she vanished, leaving behind a daughter. Valdez was 22, with two children and another on the way. Valdez’s mother, Karen Jackson of Myrtle Beach, S.C., said her daughter struggled with addiction and worked as a prostitute during periods when she would disappear without any explanation. But she would always resurface to get a hug or money from her father, share a laugh with her sister or call her mom.
Valdez’s body and that of her fetus were unearthed Feb. 23. No cause of death has been determined.
I suspect this will get little attention because the victims, prostitutes and drug addicts are considered “disposable” people.
Sounds vaguely like Robert Pickton in Vancouver…
Uh, it’s an “abandoned” housing development mostly because of the murder investigations.
Some of the news articles screw up and describe bodies as being buried under 10 feet of dirt. Right. Because the earthmovers occasionally working the jobsite have mounded up dirt from leveling homesites over part of the area where bodies have been found.
From a geek perspective, the interesting bit was after some of the skeletons were discovered, the Sheriff’s Dept contacted a satellite operator and acquired photos over several years – discovering a set of tire tracks growing deeper over the years; but, used infrequently.
It has been digging in spots showing fresh dirt turned over along those tracks that they’ve turned up the skeletons in the last few weeks.
Well, there’s no way the perp would have gotten away with it in Las Vegas, their CSI team is the best.
It could be religious cultists. There were a bunch of devil worshippers in mexico awhile back that were killing people and finally killed some american tourists, spurring a law enforcement sweep that caught them.
or it could just be an american serial killer finding a haven for his urges in a lightly traveled rural area.
The place where the bodies were found was sort of in a well traveled place. There are multiple neighborhoods in the surrounding area. An area that has been growing very quickly in the past couple of years. I am a sure that you know that the killings have taken place in New Mexico and not Mexico. If you do then I’m sorry for sounding like a jackass (it’s just that you would not believe how many morons don’t know that New Mexico is part of the U.S.).
YEP,,,those Cereal killers are something,,,just the other nite,,,i was in a Grocery store,,,and there he was,,,sneeking down the backway,,,and he grabbed 2 boxes of count chocula,,,and smashed them to bits,,,then he went to the shredded wheat,,,and murdered them,,,5 boxes of frankenberry,,,bit the dust,,,then i new,,,this guy was a “REAL” Cereal killer.