YOU’RE WATCHING KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. 17 YEARS AGO TODAY WAS WHEN WE FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE SHOCKING WEST MESA MURDERS. THE REMAINS OF TEN WOMEN, A TEENAGE GIRL AND AN UNBORN CHILD FOUND IN WEST ALBUQUERQUE. THINGS CERTAINLY LOOKED DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THEY DID 17 YEARS AGO. THERE ARE MONUMENTS THROUGHOUT THE PARK IN MEMORY OF THOSE VICTIMS. AND TODAY, INVESTIGATORS EXPLAINING THEY HAD DIFFICULTY SOLVING THIS CASE. HERE’S REPORTER COREY HOWARD WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS REMAINS AN ACTIVE AND OPEN INVESTIGATION, AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO FINDING THE TRUTH. THAT TRUTH DATES BACK AT LEAST 17 YEARS. ON FEBRUARY 2ND, 2009, CHRISTINE ROSS AND HER DOG WERE ON A WALK. THAT’S WHEN ROSS’S DOG FOUND A BONE. THAT BONE, DETERMINED TO BE A HUMAN BONE. SO WHEN THE BONES WERE FOUND IN 2009, YES, IT WAS A SHOCK TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. LIZ THOMPSON IS A RETIRED APD HOMICIDE SERGEANT WHO WORKED THIS CASE FOR NEARLY A DECADE, ALONG WITH IDA LOPEZ. WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE PERSONS OF INTEREST THAT WE’RE LOOKING INTO AND WE CONTINUE. SO I JUST DON’T WANT IT TO BE OUT THERE WHERE WE’RE LOSING TIPS BECAUSE PEOPLE ASSUME THAT WE’VE GOT THIS NUMBER ONE SUSPECT AND WE’RE NOT THERE YET. AND CLUES ARE FAR AND FEW IN BETWEEN. WHAT IT DOESN’T HAVE IS A LOT OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. THESE WOMEN’S REMAINS WERE BONES. THERE WAS NO CLOTHING. THERE WAS NO JEWELRY. THERE WASN’T PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. POLICE SAY THERE ARE EIGHT WOMEN STILL MISSING FROM 2003 TO 2006, ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS. THEIR CASES SHARE SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES AS THE WEST MESA VICTIMS. IT’S EXTREMELY GUT WRENCHING, HEART WRENCHING THAT SO MANY FAMILIES DON’T HAVE ANSWERS, INCLUDING THAT THERE ARE STILL WOMEN THAT WERE ON THE LIST OF MISSING WOMEN WHO HAVEN’T BEEN FOUND. AND THAT’S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL BURIAL SITES. APD ALSO SAID IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS THEY SERVED A SEARCH WARRANT REGARDING THE CASE, BUT DIDN’T GO INTO THE SPECIFICS ABOUT THAT WARRANT. COREY HOWARD REPORTING FOR US. ACCORDING TO POLICE, THEY HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN 1500 TIPS ABOUT THE WEST MESA MURDERS AND SAY EVERY SINGLE ONE HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED. THERE IS A $100,000 REWAR
Albuquerque police continue search for answers in West Mesa murders
Albuquerque police are actively investigating the West Mesa murders, a cold case involving the remains of 10 women, a teen girl and an unborn child found 17 years ago in Albuquerque. The case began on Feb. 2, 2009, when Christine Ross and her dog discovered a human bone during a walk, leading to the discovery of the remains.”I want you to know that this remains an active and open investigation and we are committed to finding the truth,” Cecily Barker, the interim police chief for the city of Albuquerque, said.Liz Thomson, a retired homicide sergeant for APD, described the initial discovery as shocking for both the community and the police department. “So, when the bones were found in 2009, yes, it was a shock to the community and to the police department,” Thomson said.Ida Lopez, an investigator of the APD, emphasized that there are still persons of interest being investigated, stating, “We still have persons of interest we are looking into, and we just don’t want it to be out there where we are losing tips because people assume we’ve got this number one suspect, we’re not there yet.”The investigation has been challenging due to the lack of physical evidence.”What it doesn’t have is a lot of physical evidence. These women’s remains were bones. There was no clothing. There was no jewelry. There wasn’t any physical evidence at that time,” Thomson said.Police have noted that eight women remain missing from 2003 through 2006, with their cases sharing similar circumstances to the West Mesa victims.Thomson expressed the emotional toll of the case, saying, “It’s extremely gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching that so many families don’t have answers, including that there are still women that were on the list of missing women who haven’t been found, and that’s extremely important that there may be additional burial sites.”In the last two weeks, APD served a new search warrant related to the case, though specifics were not disclosed. Police have received more than 1,500 tips about the West Mesa murders, all of which have been investigated. A $100,000 reward is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murders.
Albuquerque police are actively investigating the West Mesa murders, a cold case involving the remains of 10 women, a teen girl and an unborn child found 17 years ago in Albuquerque.
The case began on Feb. 2, 2009, when Christine Ross and her dog discovered a human bone during a walk, leading to the discovery of the remains.
“I want you to know that this remains an active and open investigation and we are committed to finding the truth,” Cecily Barker, the interim police chief for the city of Albuquerque, said.
Liz Thomson, a retired homicide sergeant for APD, described the initial discovery as shocking for both the community and the police department.
“So, when the bones were found in 2009, yes, it was a shock to the community and to the police department,” Thomson said.
Ida Lopez, an investigator of the APD, emphasized that there are still persons of interest being investigated, stating, “We still have persons of interest we are looking into, and we just don’t want it to be out there where we are losing tips because people assume we’ve got this number one suspect, we’re not there yet.”
The investigation has been challenging due to the lack of physical evidence.
“What it doesn’t have is a lot of physical evidence. These women’s remains were bones. There was no clothing. There was no jewelry. There wasn’t any physical evidence at that time,” Thomson said.
Police have noted that eight women remain missing from 2003 through 2006, with their cases sharing similar circumstances to the West Mesa victims.
Thomson expressed the emotional toll of the case, saying, “It’s extremely gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching that so many families don’t have answers, including that there are still women that were on the list of missing women who haven’t been found, and that’s extremely important that there may be additional burial sites.”
In the last two weeks, APD served a new search warrant related to the case, though specifics were not disclosed. Police have received more than 1,500 tips about the West Mesa murders, all of which have been investigated. A $100,000 reward is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murders.
