The West Mesa is an elevated landmass lying west of the Rio Grande River stretching from south of Albuquerque northward to Bernalillo in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The eastern edge of the West Mesa is defined by an escarpment that borders the Rio Grande floodplain. The western edge of the mesa is the Rio Puerco near the Laguna Pueblo about 20 miles (32 km) west of Albuquerque. A large portion of the West Mesa is part of Petroglyph National Monument and is bisected by Interstate 40 and Historic Route 66. Atrisco Vista (previously named Paseo del Volcan) (NM 347) runs north-south on the West Mesa, connecting I-40/US-66 to Double Eagle II Airport. There are numerous subdivisions with new homes being built on the lower portion of the West Mesa as the City of Albuquerque continues to expand further to the west. Further west on the Mesa are the mobile home communities of Pajarito, located to the south of I-40 and Lost Horizon, located about 1/2 mile north of I-40 and 3 miles west of the Paseo del Volcan interchange. The Bernalillo County Correctional Facility and the Sandia Motor Speedway are also located on the West Mesa, several miles south of Interstate 40.

Subdivisions[link]

List of Major subdivisions in the West Mesa area of Albuquerque:

Anderson Heights, Cottonwood Height, Desert Spring Flower, Eagle Ranch, El Rancho Grande, Grande Heights, Ladera West, La Luz, Laurelwood, Los Volcanes, Montecito Estates, Paradise Greens, Paradise Hills, Rancho Sereno, Rolling Hills, Saltillo, Seville, Skies West, Stonebridge Pointe, Stormcloud, Sunrise, Taylor Ranch, The Trails, Ventana Ranch, Ventana Ranch West, Volcano Cliffs, Vista Sandia, West Gate and West Gate Heights.

There are 3 high schools in the region: Atrisco Heritage High School, West Mesa High School and Volcano Vista High School

Serial killings burial site[link]

Locations and geographic features located at the West Mesa[link]

• Double Eagle II Airport
• West Mesa Airport (now defunct)
• Nine Mile Hill
• Volcanoes National Monument
• Village of Lost Horizon
• Petroglyph National Monument
• Shooting Range Park - a public shooting range owned and operated by the City of Albuquerque
• Bernalillo County Correctional Facility
• Sandia Motor Speedway

Coordinates: 35°07′00″N 106°48′00″W / 35.1166667°N 106.8°W / 35.1166667; -106.8

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The West Mesa Murders refer to the remains of 11 women found buried in 2009 in the desert on the West Mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico. No suspects have been identified in the case and a serial killer is believed to be responsible.

Discovery[link]

On February 2, 2009, a woman walking a dog found a human bone on the West Mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico metropolitan area, and reported it to police. As a result of the subsequent police investigation, authorities discovered the remains of 11 women^[1] and an unborn fetus buried in the area. All the women were young; most were Hispanic, and most were involved with drugs and prostitution.^[2]

Police suspect that the bodies were all buried by the same person or persons, and may be the work of a serial killer sometimes referred to as the West Mesa Bone Collector.^[3][4] Authorities also believe that the murders are closely linked to the annual state fair, which attracts large numbers of prostitutes to the area in the fall.^[5]

Victims[link]

The remains discovered in 2009 were identified as those of the following women, all of whom disappeared between 2003 and 2005:^[6][7]

• Jamie Barela, 15
• Monica Candelaria, 22
• Victoria Chavez, 26
• Virginia Cloven, 24
• Syllania Edwards, 15
• Cinnamon Elks, 32
• Doreen Marquez, 24
• Julie Nieto, 24
• Veronica Romero, 28
• Evelyn Salazar, 27
• Michelle Valdez, 22

Syllania Edwards, a 15 year-old runaway from Oklahoma, was the only African American, and the only victim from out-of-state.^[8] Michelle Valdez was four months pregnant at the time of her death.^[9]

On December 9, 2010, Albuquerque police released six photos of seven unidentified women who may also be linked to West Mesa.^[2] Some of the women appear to be unconscious, and many share the same physical characteristics as the original 11 victims.^[2] The following day the police released an additional photograph of another woman; this woman was subsequently identified by family members, who reported that she had died of natural causes several years ago.^[10][11] On December 13, 2010, police reported that two of the women in the photos had been identified as alive, and could have valuable information if they can be located.^[12] Police would not say how or where they had obtained the photos.^[2]

Suspects[link]

Two men who initially attracted police attention in connection with the murders were Fred Reynolds and Lorenzo Montoya. Reynolds was a pimp who knew one of the missing women and reportedly had photos of missing prostitutes; he died of natural causes in January 2009.^[13] Lorenzo Montoya lived less than two miles from the burial site; in 2006 there were reportedly tire tracks leading from his trailer to the site.^[4] In December 2006, Montoya strangled a teenage prostitute at his trailer; he was shot to death by the prostitute's boyfriend.^[14][4]

In August 2010, police searched several properties in Joplin, Missouri associated with a local photographer and businessman in connection with the West Mesa cases.^[2] They confiscated "tens of thousands" of photos from the man, who reportedly used to visit the state fair in Albuquerque.^[2]

In December 2010, convicted Colorado serial killer Scott Lee Kimball stated that he was being investigated for the West Mesa murders; he denies killing the women.^[15]

No official suspects have ever been named in connection with the murders.^[2] A reward of up to $100,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.^[7]

References[link]

v t e City of Albuquerque, New Mexico Richard J. Berry, Mayor History City Council Mayors Neighborhoods Transportation Architecture Famous Residents Economy Arts and Culture Sports Educational Institutions Bernalillo County North Valley Rio Rancho South Valley

Jeffery Douglas "Doug" West (born May 27, 1967, in Altoona, Pennsylvania) is a retired American professional basketball player.

A 6'7" (198 cm) shooting guard/small forward from Villanova University, West was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 1989 NBA Draft. An athletic, well-rounded player who could score as well as defend, West became a regular starter for the Timberwolves during the 1991-92 NBA season, in which he averaged 14.0 points per game, appeared in the Gatorade Slam Dunk Championship, and earned Timberwolves' Defensive Player of the Year Honors. The following season, he averaged a career high 19.3 points per game, and in 1995, he broke Tony Campbell's team-record 4,888 points to become the Timberwolves' all-time leading scorer (a distinction now held by Kevin Garnett). West was an "original" Timberwolf, being drafted by the team in its first year of existence. He was the last of the original roster to remain on the team.

By the mid-1990s, injuries began to take their toll on West, and he was traded to the Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for Anthony Peeler after the 1997-98 NBA season. West provided a veteran presence for the struggling young Grizzlies, but he saw very limited playing time, and he finally retired from the NBA in 2001. He had tallied career totals of 6,477 points, 1,670 rebounds, and 1,292 assists.

In the late 1990s, West suffered from depression and alcoholism, for which he sought treatment.^[1][2]

After the NBA, West spent two years coaching at a high school in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, and two years as an athletic director at a high school in Wheeling, West Virginia. West was an assistant coach for the Duquesne University women's basketball team for one season. West was named an assistant coach for the Villanova Wildcats, replacing Ed Pinckney on October 5, 2007.^[3]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Career Stats at basketball-reference.com
• Player Profile at Minnesota Timberwolves' Official Web Site
• Coach's Profile at Villanova University.