From the years of 2001-2005 female sex-workers in Albuquerque, New Mexico began disappearing at an alarming rate. Ida Lopez the lead, and only, detective in missing persons started to realize a pattern of these missing women being predominantly Latino/Hispanic descendants, with brown hair, similar age, and working in an area known to many as the War Zone. Little did Ida know that she was about to unravel one of New Mexico’s most heinous cases to date.
In 2009, Christine Ross and her dog Ruca, went for their usual morning walk along a dried-up creek bed in the West Mesa, just outside of their neighborhood. When Ruca makes a disturbing discovery, one that would lead to the discovery of eleven female bodies, and one unborn fetus.
If you or anyone you know has information regarding the disappearances of Darlene Marie Trujillo, Anna Love Vigil, Felipa Victoria Gonzales, Nina Brenda Herron, Shawntell Monique Waites, and/or Leah Rachelle Peebles you’re asked to contact the Albuquerque Police Department at 505-768-2020
If you have any information regarding the West Mesa Bone Collector case you are asked to call 505-768-2450 or Crime Stopper at 505-843-STOP. You can also contact the Albuquerque Police Department investigator Ida Lopes at ilopez@cabq.gov.
References
ABO Journal News Staff. (2009, April 21). Breaking at 2:05pm -- Seventh West Mesa Victim ID'd. Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.abqjournal.com/5740/breaking-at-205pm-seventh-west-mesa-victim-idd.html
Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board. (2022, August 5). Editorial: Dedicated retirees and quest for justice. Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.abqjournal.com/2522025/dedicated-retirees-and-quest-for-justice.html
Albuquerque Police Department. (NA). West Mesa Serial Killer $100,000 Reward. Archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20101206091401/http://www.cabq.gov/police/ccw/victims/118_street/index_118th.htm
Albuquerque Police Department Press Release. (2010). West Mesa Serial Killer--$100,000 Reward. Archive.org. https://web.archive.org/web/20101206091401/http://www.cabq.gov/police/ccw/victims/118_street/index_118th.htm
Associated Press. (n.d.). West Mesa Murders Timeline. KRQE. Retrieved February 3, 2023, from https://www.krqe.com/interactives/west-mesa-murders-timeline/?ipid=promo-link-block1
Chen, C. (2009, November 13). Investigators Say Serial Killer Murdered Oklahoma Teen. News 9. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.news9.com/story/5e35b5cc83eff40362bf08ac/investigators-say-serial-killer-murdered-oklahoma-teen
Cuervo, F. (2023). Albuquerque, New Mexico. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque,_New_Mexico
Denton, S. (2009, April 27). Who's Murdering the Prostitutes of Albuquerque? The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://www.thedailybeast.com/whos-murdering-the-prostitutes-of-albuquerque
Dorfmann, C. (Writer). (2017, July 26). Lost girls of the Mesa (R. Dorfmann & M. Haertlein, Directors) (Season 1, Episode 10) [TV series episode]. In The Real Story with Maria Elena Salinas. Investigation Discovery.
Flowers, A., & Prawat, B. (2017). SERIAL KILLER: West Mesa Murders. Crime Junkie Podcast. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/west-mesa-murders/
Holland, K. (2015, June 8). Accused serial rapist, West Mesa murder suspect sentenced to 36 years in rape case. KRQE. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.krqe.com/news/accused-serial-rapist-west-mesa-murder-suspect-sentenced-to-36-years-in-rape-case/
Kim, K. (2010). Police: Women in photo passed away. Archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20131228160656/http://www.krqe.com/home/police-woman-in-photo-passed-away
Kim, K. (2010). Victim's Families glad APD has Leads. Archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20101214234114/http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/victims-families-glad-apd-has-leads
KOAT7 ABC Press. (2009, March 1). Missing Woman's Family Fears She Could Be Among West Mesa Victims. KOAT. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.koat.com/article/missing-woman-s-family-fears-she-could-be-among-west-mesa-victims/5029498
KOAT7 ABC Press. (2009, March 11). Police ID Woman Found On West Mesa. KOAT. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.koat.com/article/police-id-woman-found-on-west-mesa/5029616#
Komar, D. A., & Buikstra, J. E. (2008). Forensic anthropology : contemporary theory and practice. Oxford University Press.
Kraios, G. (2020). Missing: Darlene Trujillo | Albuquerque, NM | Uncovered. Uncovered: Cold Case. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://uncovered.com/cases/darlene-trujillo
Kraios, G. (2021). Missing: Anna Vigil | Albuquerque, NM | Uncovered. Uncovered: Cold Case. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://uncovered.com/cases/anna-vigil
Krajewski, M. (2022, February 2). 13th anniversary of New Mexico's West Mesa Murders. KOAT. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.koat.com/article/west-mesa-murders-new-mexico-13-years-later/38964420
Lucarelli, K. (2019, April 25). The West Mesa Bone Collector cold case - Albuquerque. KOAT. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.koat.com/article/dispatches-from-the-middle-west-mesa-bone-collector/27195639
Mahato, N. (2022, July 13). Dateline: Unforgettable: Who is detective Ida Lopez and what is her role in the investigation of the Albuquerque disappearances? Sportskeeda. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/dateline-unforgettable-who-detective-ida-lopez-role-investigation-albuquerque-disappearances
Mahato, N. (2022, July 13). Dateline: Unforgettable: Who is detective Ida Lopez and what is her role in the investigation of the Albuquerque disappearances? Sportskeeda. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/dateline-unforgettable-who-detective-ida-lopez-role-investigation-albuquerque-disappearances
Mankiewicz, J., & Holt, L. (Writers). (2010, December 10). Somebody's Daughter (Season 19, Episode 13) [TV series episode]. In Dateline NBC. NBC NEWS.
McKee, C., & Nash, J. (2022, February 2). Albuquerque Police makes new plea for help solving West Mesa murders. KRQE. Retrieved February 3, 2023, from https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/albuquerque-police-to-discuss-west-mesa-murders/
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. (n.d.). Missing Person / NamUs #MP607. NamUs. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP607
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. (n.d.). Missing Person / NamUs #MP608. NamUs. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP608
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. (n.d.). Missing Person / NamUs #MP603 | NamUs. NamUs. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP603
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. (n.d.). Missing Person / NamUs #MP609 | NamUs. NamUs. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP609
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. (n.d.). Missing Person / NamUs #MP621 | NamUs. NamUs. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP621
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. (n.d.). Missing Person / NamUs #MP655 | NamUs. NamUs. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP655
Perez, N., & Browman, R. (2019). Victims of the West Mesa Murders. Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.abqjournal.com/community-data/west-mesa-murder-victims
Perez, N., & Browman, R. (2019). West Mesa Murders. Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.abqjournal.com/community-data/west-mesa-murders
Perez, N., Browman, R., & Writers, S. (2016, February 1). Seven years later, one detective remains on West Mesa killings. Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.abqjournal.com/715705/west-mesa-murders-seven-years-later.html
Uncovered. (2021). Missing: Felipa Gonzales | Albuquerque, NM | Uncovered. Uncovered: Cold Case. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://uncovered.com/cases/felipa-gonzales
Uncovered. (2022). Missing: Nina Herron | Albuquerque, NM | Uncovered. Uncovered: Cold Case. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://uncovered.com/cases/nina-herron-albuquerque-nm#sources
University of Tampa Criminology Blog. (2010). West Mesa Bone Collector. Archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20101223081633/http://utcriminologyblog.com/2010/01/18/west-mesa-bone-collector-albuquerque-nm/
Whelan, M. (2019, September 1). West Mesa Bone Collector (Part One: The Pit) — Unresolved. Unresolved. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://unresolved.me/west-mesa-bone-collector-part-one-the-pit
Whelan, M. (2019, September 7). West Mesa Bone Collector (Part Two: The War Zone) — Unresolved. Unresolved. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://unresolved.me/west-mesa-bone-collector-part-two-the-war-zone
Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia. (2023). West Mesa murders. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Mesa_murders
Wyler, G. (2014, September 8). Who Is the West Mesa Bone Collector? VICE. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.vice.com/en/article/yvqxn5/who-is-the-west-mesa-bone-collector-0000439-v21n9