The West Mesa Murders // 297

In 2009, the bodies of eleven women were uncovered in a New Mexico desert, all of whom had been missing for multiple years. As police investigated the possible connection in the cases, multiple suspects popped up on their radar. Known as one of the most notorious and disturbing cases in New Mexico history, these are the West Mesa Murders.

BONUS EPISODES

Apple Subscriptions: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-west-true-crime/id1448151398

Patreon: patreon.com/goingwestpodcast

CASE SOURCES

1. All That's Interesting: https://allthatsinteresting.com/west-mesa-murders2. City of Albuquerque Police Department: https://www.cabq.gov/police/contact-the-police/west-mesa-homicide-investigation3. KOAT: https://www.koat.com/article/west-mesa-murders-new-mexico-13-years-later/389644204. Albuquerque Journal: https://www.abqjournal.com/community-data/west-mesa-murders5. Syllania's Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78230119/syllannia-terene-edwards6. Street Safe New Mexico: https://streetsafenm.wordpress.com/2017/11/18/why-its-called-the-war-zone/7. Monica's Obituary: http://obits.abqjournal.com/obits/print_obit/1980958. KOAT: https://www.koat.com/article/west-mesa-victim-laid-to-rest-1/50310169. Doreen's Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134036816/doreen-marquez10. Monica's Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40296055/monica-candelaria11. The Charley Project: https://charleyproject.org/case/victoria-ann-chavez12. Victoria's Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75186057/victoria-chavez13. Veronica's Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40555189/veronica-c-romero14. Veronica's Obituary: http://obits.abqjournal.com/obits/print_obit/19725915. Medium: https://medium.com/@yasminscherrer/not-nameless-remembering-the-victims-of-the-west-mesa-bone-collector-321e2187f98e16. Jamie's Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78222826/jamie-catalina_yvonne-barela17. Jamie's memorial page: https://www.weremember.com/jamie-barela/2l6w/memories18. KOAT: https://www.koat.com/article/mother-of-missing-woman-seeks-answers/502969819. Evelyn's Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/179033144/evelyn-jesus_maria-salazar20. Syllannia's Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78230119/syllannia-terene-edwards21. Websleuths forum on Syllannia Edwards: https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/victim-syllannia-edwards.283805/22. La Prensa: https://laprensa.org/memories-jaime-selena-smiles-and-serial-murder23. Virginia's Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/99491001/virginia-ann-cloven24. The Real Story: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Girls-of-the-Mesa/dp/B072L1MRRN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1JRNQRT76KXC9&keywords=the+real+story+with+maria+elena&qid=1680198210&sprefix=the+real+story+with+maria+elena%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-125. KOAT: https://www.koat.com/article/family-worries-daughter-is-among-west-mesa-victims/502969726. KOAT: https://www.koat.com/article/police-id-woman-found-on-west-mesa/502961627. Cinnamon's Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/231093469/cinnamon-elks28. Julie's Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40555365/juliean-cyndie-nieto29. Julie's obituary: http://obits.abqjournal.com/obits/print_obit/19725430. ABQ Journal: https://www.abqjournal.com/534884/families-wait-for-a-place-to-remember.html31. Michelle's Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40555025/gina-michelle-valdez32. Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Albuquerque/comments/vh277b/so_we_are_all_in_agreement_that_lorenzo_montoya/33. El Paso Times: https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/blogs/border-cafe/2014/02/17/police-persons-of-interest-in-albuquerque-serial-murders-investigation/30957179/