The West Mesa murders
Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico · discovered 2009
A woman walking her dog across the Albuquerque desert found a single human bone, and the West Mesa gave up the remains of eleven women and an unborn child.
Overview
On February 2, 2009, a woman walking her dog on the West Mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico found a human bone, leading investigators to a burial site where the remains of eleven women and an unborn fetus were unearthed near 118th Street and Dennis Chavez Boulevard. The victims, many of them women connected to the streets, had disappeared between 2003 and 2005. All eleven women were eventually identified, ranging in age from 15 to 32. The killer, dubbed the 'West Mesa Bone Collector,' has never been identified, and no one has been arrested or charged. The Albuquerque Police Department continues to call the matter an active investigation.
Where it stands
The case remains unsolved and is treated by the Albuquerque Police Department as an open, active investigation rather than a dormant cold case. Marking the 15th anniversary, APD Chief Harold Medina said, 'We have put a tremendous amount of effort into solving this case over the last 15 years and we will not stop in the search for the individual/s responsible.' Investigators say they are still pursuing persons of interest while lacking a primary suspect, and APD, the FBI, and the victims' families have contributed to a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to an arrest and prosecution. APD has more recently pursued strategies such as proposed legislation to access DNA from deceased individuals previously arrested for felonies.
Persons of interest
The theories below are reported strictly as attributed to the cited sources. Naming a person here is not an accusation. Individuals are named only where they are deceased, were formally charged, were officially named by authorities, or have been publicly cleared.
- Lorenzo MontoyaDeceased
According to New Mexico News Port, APD released his name as a potential suspect; A&E reports former APD Chief Mike Geier called him 'probably our best suspect,' noting he lived a short distance from the burial zone. He was killed in December 2006 while attempting to move the body of a woman he had strangled — shot by her boyfriend — and so was never charged.[5]
- A man convicted of unrelated sex crimes whom APD publicly named as a potential suspect
Per New Mexico News Port and A&E, APD publicly named a man — imprisoned for unrelated sex offenses — as a potential suspect; A&E reports he 'has not been charged in the case and never admitted to the murders.' He is described here by role rather than implicated.[5]
Sources
- West Mesa murders
“On February 2, 2009, a woman walking a dog found a human bone on the West Mesa and reported it to police.”
- APD Honors West Mesa Victims on 15th Anniversary
“On February 2, 2009 the remains of 11 women and an unborn fetus were discovered near the intersection of 118th Street and Dennis Chavez Boulevard on the southwest mesa of Albuquerque.”
- Will the West Mesa Serial Killer Ever Be Identified?
“In February 2009, an Albuquerque resident walking her dog in the West Mesa area came upon a human bone.”
- Families, APD seek answers 16 years after West Mesa murders
“the remains of 11 women and an unborn child were found on Albuquerque's West Mesa.”
- West Mesa murder case reaches ten year anniversary
“APD released the names of two potential suspects, Joseph Blea and Lorenzo Montoya.”