10/19/2026
11 WOMEN. ONE UNBORN CHILD. BURIED IN THE NEW MEXICO DESERT. NO ONE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.
THE UNSOLVED WEST MESA MURDERS
Albuquerque, New Mexico — February 2009
In February 2009, a woman walking her dog across Albuquerque's West Mesa noticed what appeared to be a human bone protruding from the desert sand.
What began with that discovery became one of the largest unsolved murder investigations in New Mexico history.
As investigators excavated the remote area, they uncovered the skeletal remains of 11 women and one unborn child, buried in shallow graves. The victims had disappeared years earlier, many between 2003 and 2005.
Their identities were eventually established through DNA testing, dental records, and other forensic evidence.
THE 11 WOMEN:
Veronica Romero, 28
Victoria Chavez, 26
Michelle Valdez, 22 — pregnant when she disappeared
Jamie Barela, 15
Evelyn Salazar, 27
Cinnamon Elks, 32
Monica Candelaria, 22
Virginia Cloven, 24
Julie Nieto, 24
Syllvannia Edwards, 15
Doreen Marquez, 24
The discovery exposed a disturbing pattern of disappearances involving young women from Albuquerque, several of whom had histories involving s*x work, addiction, or unstable living circumstances.
Some were mothers. Two were only 15 years old. Michelle Valdez was pregnant.
Investigators believe the women were killed during the early 2000s, although the exact circumstances of their deaths remain unclear.
The burial ground was located in an area undergoing residential development. Without the disturbance of that land, investigators might never have discovered the graves.
During the broader period surrounding the murders, numerous other Albuquerque women disappeared. Some remain missing, although authorities have not established that every disappearance was connected to the West Mesa killings.
The unknown person or people responsible became associated with the name “The West Mesa Bone Collector.”
Despite years of investigation, no one has been convicted of these murders, and the identity of the killer or killers remains unconfirmed.
Seventeen years after the desert graves were discovered, 11 women and an unborn child are still waiting for justice.
Their lives were far more than the circumstances surrounding their disappearances, and their families have spent years waiting for answers.
Anyone with information regarding the West Mesa murders is urged to contact the Albuquerque Police Department at 505-768-2450 or Crime Stoppers at 877-765-8273.
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished
West Mesa Serial Killer Victims (top) and Missing Women of Albuquerque (bottom)
