When a 911 call came in just before 9 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2018, the caller sounded frantic. for a lot of people, that would be the end of police work. She told authorities a "bad man" was in her parents' room, per New York Post. The West Mesa Murders are the killings of eleven women whose remains were found buried in 2009 in the desert on the West Mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Insiders close to Lori Isenberg . The upcoming episode, titled Somebody's Daughter, will air on Oxygen on Tuesday, July 12, at 8:00 PM ET. Her siblings are A.J. In 2005, she was handed two missing persons files including missing 25-year-old Michelle Valdez, who worked as a prostitute on the streets of New Mexicos largest city. Dave Sepich remembered his daughter as a go-getter. She lost custody of Hailey and Dustin when the court ruled that Mike was the more stable parent. In 2007, before the harrowing discovery, the detective reportedly claimed that she had a file of more than 17 women, whom she referred to as "her girls," with similar backgrounds of addiction or prostitution who went missing between 2001 and 2006 from the Albuquerque streets. A detective's daughter is abducted and murdered despite several phone calls to police dispatchers from her husband, a concerned driver, and even the victim herself.A detective's daughter is abducted and murdered despite several phone calls to police dispatchers from her husband, a concerned driver, and even the victim herself.A detective's daughter is abducted and murdered despite several phone calls to police dispatchers from her husband, a concerned driver, and even the victim herself. WHEC News 10 reports that when Officer Thomas Schirmer arrived at the Krauseneck's home, he saw Jim Krauseneck outside his bedroom with another officer. "It has also failed this community.". Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Shapearl Wells 22-year-old son Courtney Copeland died from a gunshot wound on March 4, 2016 in Chicago. Carla Walker was 17 years old when she was abducted on February 17, 1974, pulled from a vehicle where she was sitting with her boyfriend Rodney McCoy after they'd attended a Valentine's Day . Who Is Cass College Friend John on Good Witch? The investigation led the detective to discover at least 17 more similar cases of missing women, whom she referred to as "her girls.". Lopezs investigation found that close to two dozen women with similar profiles were missing. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The Dateline episode "Somebody's Daughter" shines the light on Albuquerque Detective Ida Lopez. Your email is safe with us, we dont spam. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Katie, 22, was last seen alive leaving a party on foot after an argument with her boyfriendearly the morning of Aug. 31, 2003,the start of Labor Day weekend. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. After the episode aired Feb. 21, friends and family of Katieshared their memories. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Meet Detective Ida Lopez, bringing justice to missing women & their families. Satellite imagery taken between 2003 and 2005 shows tire marks and patches of disturbed soils in the area where the remains were recovered. ", "Albuquerque police release photos in West Mesa murders investigation", "Joplin man says he has been cleared of suspicion in serial murders", "Colorado killer quizzed in mesa murders", "Accused serial rapist, West Mesa murder suspect sentenced to 36 years in rape case", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=West_Mesa_murders&oldid=1149650025, Crimes against sex workers in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 April 2023, at 15:13. Here's What Happened (EXCLUSIVE), What Happened to Denise Hallowell? [17] In June 2018, more bones were found near the site of the burials, but these were later determined to be ancient and not related to the West Mesa murders. Last week, New York State Police announced an arrest in the 2003 murder of Megan McDonald, whose baffling case featured on "Dateline" ahead of the milestone anniversary of her slaying. Stan and Denise Smart, whose daughter Kristin Smart was murdered by Paul Flores, speak to NBC's "Dateline" in the two-hour special "Justice for Kristin," airing Friday, March 31, 2023. By Jill Sederstrom What Happened to Michella Welch? Scott was a UPS worker who had used the company database to target his victims. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. NBC | CHCH | Air Date: December 10, 2010. Copyright 2023 Distractify. "She was willing to laugh at herself and make fun of herself and be the butt of the joke and still do it with grace and crack everyone up.". [This story previously aired on November 7, 2020. The case reportedly began in 2005 when Lopez was handed files of a few missing women, one of whom was a 25-year-old prostitute named Michelle Valdez from New Mexico's largest city, Alberquerque. Airdate: Tuesday July 12, 2022 at 8.00pm on Oxygen. [9] In 2010, a reward of up to $100,000 was being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.[11]. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. "It would have identified her killer sooner, but it wouldnt have saved her," Jayann stated on "Dateline.". If you have information about the West Mesa murders, please contact APD at 1-877-765-8273 or (505) 768-2450. Two hours. [9] Police confirmed that they had cleared Erwin as a suspect. Blea has been dubbed the "Mid-School Rapist" for his activities in the 1980s; police say he would often break into the homes of 13- to 15-year-old girls who lived near McKinley Middle School in Albuquerque and rape them. The Sepiches, who spent a decade championing the law across the country (it's now in 31 states), saythey will never know the people who were helped by Katie's Law, but they know they are there. A sinister force seems to be snatching women off the streets of Albuquerque. The show featured emotional interviews with Katie'sparents, Dave and Jayann Sepich, her siblings, her former roommate and law enforcement detectives, includingformer Las Cruces police detective Mark Myers and retired Capt. It would take authorities over four decades to catch the person who did it. In the early hours of December 20 . "She would say, 'This is what were doing,lets go. Between 2018-19 Chicago had 849 murders. Its still a mystery who shot Courtney, or what exactly happened the day he died. A sinister force seemed to be snatching women off the streets of Albuquerque. Although Joseph Hartsfield's manner of death has been ruled undetermined, Sarah Hartsfield was arrested in February 2023 and was charged with his murder, per ABC 13.She is currently being held in a Chambers County jail on a $4.5 million bond, down from $5 million, which was decreased by the court after Sarah pleaded for mercy. Should NM lawmakers have field offices and staffers? She was a ball of fire from day one," Dave said in a Dateline NBC video honoring his daughter. Episode Summary. Evidently, in early 1982 the Eastman Kodak Company became aware of this fabrication, as did Cathleen Krauseneck. "If she would've left 30 seconds earlier or even a minute earlier or later, he would've never seen her," Myers stated. [1] Police have also suspected the involvement of a sex trafficking ring operating through neighboring Texas that targets sex workers during events throughout the Southwest, Southern, and Western United States, especially regularly scheduled events, such as the New Mexico state fair in this case, to take advantage of reliably heavier traffic. She waskidnapped and raped before a deranged killerleft her body in a city dump. On the morning of Feb. 19, 1982, 29-year-old Cathleen Krauseneck was home with her 3-year-old daughter Sara in the town of Brighton, N.Y. just outside of Rochester. Ashley C. Ford's memoir, Somebody's Daughter, tells the story of the author's childhood and coming-of-age, with a focus on her complicated relationships with her mother and . Your reporter was offensively judgmental of the family and the victims. "She was always my protector but also my best friend.". Albuquerque police spokesperson Tanner Tixier stated that she returned in 2015 to continue working on the unsolved case. Did Candy Montgomery Really Kill Betty Gore? Lopez caught national attention by appearing on Dateline in a story about the West Mesa case that aired in December 2010. He was assigned to the case when Lopez retired and will continue working on it. In 2009, the bodies of 11 women were found in multiple shallow graves on the West Mesa of Albuquerque but the cases remain unsolved. [3][4][5][6] This small fragment of a human trafficking ring involves numerous population centers, including Las Vegas in Nevada, El Paso and Killeen in Texas, and Denver in Colorado.[2]. Shapearl Wells' 22-year-old son Courtney Copeland died from a gunshot wound on March 4, 2016 in Chicago. The case remains unsolved till date, with eight girls still missing. var sc_security="6134e3f5"; We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. According to Dateline, because of what they did and how they lived their stories might not have been told.. Gabriel Avila, then 27, of Las Cruces, hadsubmitted a DNA sample after being sent to prison for convictions of burglary, resisting arrest and fraudulent refusal to return leased property. Dennis Murphy reports. thanks for watching. In one case, there was a DNA sample but the rape test kit was not re-tested until 2010, eventually linking Blea to the rape. NBC New. Episode Details & Credits. New Mexico State University", "Fair prostitutes help West Mesa murders", "The Untold Truth Of The West Mesa Murders", "APD Talks 10-Year Investigation Into West Mesa Murders", "The West Mesa Murders And The Bone Collector Behind Them", "Updated: Seven years later, one detective remains on West Mesa killings", "AMW Fugitives West Mesa Bone Collector Case", "Women's photos may link to mesa murders", "West Mesa Serial Killer--$100,000 Reward", "Lawton girl was only teen in mass grave", "Albuquerque police release photos in West Mesa murders investigation (warning: content may be disturbing for some people)", "Police identify 2 women from photos, both alive", "Dateline To Air Story on West Mesa Deaths", "West Mesa Bone Collector Albuquerque NM", "Police Pursue Possible Leads In West Mesa Cases", "Does APD have a suspect in the West Mesa Murders? Fred Reynolds was a pimp who knew one of the missing women and reportedly had photos of missing sex workers; he died of natural causes in January 2009. Police were desperate for answers but kept coming up empty. var sc_project=8656821; She liked to plan things and make her adventures go her way," Caraline stated. You can look at the case file and try to get a good grasp on it, but unless you were there from day one, youre not going to have the intimate knowledge of the case that Ida would have.. Posted: Jul 29, 2022 / 12:30 PM EDT. Summary: Josh Mankiewicz puts the focus on the mysteries surrounding the West Mesa Murders, an unsolved case of 11 female bodies discovered in a desert graveyard near Albuquerque in 2009. Clayton's daughter, a precocious 7-year-old -- gifted at math and gymnastics -- told Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard that she saw a man "hurting mommy" when he first spoke to her at a neighbor's home shortly after her mother's body was discovered. According to the New York Post, when he did return around 5 p.m., he was met with a gruesome scene. They dont see black men as human, Shapealr told People. Be the first one to comment on this story. "And to find out what we actually accomplished. (NBC) Friday on "Dateline," when Diane Kyne is found dead in her bedroom, competing stories emerge about which of . Between 2001 and 2005, 11 women were buried by an unknown assailant in an arroyo bank on Albuquerque's West Mesa, in an undeveloped area within city limits. On the morning of Feb. 19, 1982, 29-year-old Cathleen Krauseneck was home with her 3-year-old daughter Sara in the town of Brighton, N.Y. just outside of Rochester. >> it was a story to her, too. 47% of the cases during this time with white victims have been solved, while only 22% of cases with black victims have been solved. Police would later determine the murder weapon was an ax that left a 3-inch gash. Who killed Cathleen Krauseneck? Ida Lopez was unable to solve the case she was so closely attached to before her retirement and relocation in 2014. She had been strangled, sexually assaulted and her body partially burned. Marron-Keating accompanied Jim Krauseneck and his daughter to the Brighton Police Department. she's a young woman. This analogy from centuries ago that black people are three-fifths of a human being is still present in society today, and it was present in 2016 when Courtney died.. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. Now, she was determined to beat them on the job using her head and her heart. Ida Lopez previously appeared on Dateline in an episode on the West Mesa tragedy which aired in December, 2010. She put her whole heart into it. As a mother, I was in pain for the relatives; as a Social Worker I believe the interviewer put himself above the seemingly poor, lower class and less worthy families. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. [7], On February 2, 2009, a woman walking a dog found a human bone on the West Mesa, and reported it to police. I always say Ican't wait to get to heaven and findout who they were and find out what the circumstances were," Dave stated. Twins Vivica and Vianca Corley of Eldorado High hope to carry on a tradition of, You never know when some of those past recruiting trips might pay off. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. of "dateline." i'm craig melvin. >> for me, there was a story. Here's what to expect for the rest of the week. Brittani was lying on the floor, covered in blood. Her husband Jim had already left for the Eastman Kodak Company, where he worked as an economist. "She was going 90 miles per hourher whole life.". Lopez was part of the investigation from the very beginning, when the homicides were a series of missing persons cases related to the disappearance of numerous women. She was the 10th victim to be identified, and her 15-year-old cousin Jamie Barela was the . After he was shot in the back of the neck by an unknown assailant, he had supposedly . [19] He had twice been arrested for violent attacks on sex workers and had threatened to kill his girlfriend and bury her in lime. Here are some of the things that dont add up about Cournteys death: So much seems to point that the police know more about what happened to Courtney than theyre telling, or maybe they just dont deem it important enough to find out. She believes her mother's real killer got away. Thirty-three years later, their sister, Shanta Sturgis, spoke to Dateline about . Dave Sepich remembered his daughter as a go-getter. Dateline: Unforgettable: Who is detective Ida Lopez and what is her role in the investigation of the Albuquerque disappearances. Lineup Announced Plus Guest Hosts Anthony Anderson & Mark Rober on . Somebody's Daughter Episode aired Jul 14, 2018 IMDb RATING 7.6 /10 5 YOUR RATING Rate Crime Detectives often hit dead ends that can stop them cold but, for one young detective, dead ends were just another place to start. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Source: Twitter/Dateline NBC (video still), Source: YouTube/News 8 WROC (video still), addressing the court during her father's sentencing. Originally aired on NBC on February 1, 2013. Prosecutors dropped charges in the other killings (mother and daughterKaren and Karissa Lofton, and Vilma Butler). These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He killed five women and was convicted of 29 home invasions. [4] Co-workers said he had talked about killing women and burying them on the West Mesa. ABC Nearly six years after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, Diane Staudte said she's ready to share the chain of events that led to her life imprisonment without parole. [18][19], No official suspects have ever been named in connection with the murders. According to Tixier, the department made the decision to bring Lopez back due to her extensive involvement in the case as well as her connection with the families of the victims. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". so many young women missing. Josh Mankiewicz has chosen this episode as one of his most memorable classic episodes. Dana and Mike were married for 16 years, but went through a long and especially ugly divorce. The family of the victim was able to get a law passed Florida requiring 911 dispatch operators to be state certified position. Somebody's Daughter: A detective sets out on a search to find dozens of women who disappeared while walking through Albuquerque, New Mexico. He said. Born Kathryn Jaye Sepich in Carlsbad, New Mexico,she was the oldest of three children. Detective Ida Lopez's dedication to finding these missing women is admirable. See production, box office & company info. By 2016, Jim Krauseneck was their only suspect. Just screams and growls," Schirmer would later testify. [19][22], In August 2010, police searched several properties in Joplin, Missouri associated with local photographer and businessman Ron Erwin in connection with the West Mesa cases. ATF Special Agent David Cheplak said Scott took his craft seriously. Scott studied criminal forensics TV shows which helped him in his criminal endeavors whether it was hiding his DNA by always wearing gloves, or turning off his cell phone and going so far as taking out the battery because he thought that perhaps the police might be able to trace where his cell phone was at the time of any of these crimes. Dateline NBC airs Sundays at 10pm. Albuquerque detective Ida Lopez took it upon herself to uncover the story behind the remains of 11 women and an unborn fetus, which were discovered over 13 years ago, buried in shallow graves in a West Mesa desert. [4] Blea, in the Mid-School rape case, was sentenced to 36 years in June 2015, at 58 years of age. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. KPRC . Diane Staudte was convicted in Jan. 6 after she pleaded guilty to first-degree murder charges. Less than three months after Sepich's slaying, Avila was arrested for aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon (knife) and resisting an officer. The unsolved case received a lot of attention after that. In this case, there was almost nothing but bones.. Police have confirmed Lopez is working on a contract basis to investigate the West Mesa murders. The official synopsis states: "Josh Mankiewicz recalls the story of a detective who. Euphoria Star Sydney Sweeneys White Hot Bikini Is Out of Control, Sydney Sweeney, Algee Smith, Euphoria, image: courtesy of HBO, 2012-2023, 2paragraphs Productions, LLC. Right on cue: May ushers in warm weather in April showers brought May flowers this April showers brought May flowers this year. Of course, this was all circumstantial and in 1982, technology wasn't able to give investigators any answers. While the killings were initially believed to be the work of a serial killer, the involvement of a sex trafficking ring has been suspected. var sc_invisible=1; What is the Spanish language plot outline for Somebody's Daughter (2010)? Young murder victim helps solve her own cold case nearly 40 years later. The West Mesa Murders are the killings of eleven women whose remains were found buried in 2009 in the desert on the West Mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Avila said he "suddenly lost it" and attacked her, raping and strangling her. Cathleen Krauseneck was in bed, dead from an apparent blow to the head. Wednesday, October 5th, 2016 at 12:02AM. According to satellite photos, the last victim was buried in 2005. Sorry! Genre (s): Talk & Interview, Business, News, Documentary, Events & Specials. Tonight's episode of Dateline: Unforgettable Season 2 will have Josh Mankiewicz narrate the story of the dedicated detective Ida Lopez, who is still working on these decade-old cases to help the victims and their families find some form of justice. Originally aired on NBC on March 18, 2011. Scott She was a daughter, sister, best friend and a leader. [9], The remains discovered in 2009 were identified as those of the following women and girls, all of whom disappeared between 2001 and 2005:[10][11]. 'Dateline' has answers. [1][2], An anonymous tip to authorities at APD and FBI linked the murders to a suspect from Central America. IE 11 is not supported. Cathleen Krauseneck's father, Robert Schlosser, was particularly affected by this. Jim Krauseneck was their only suspect, but police could not find any evidence to support this theory. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". She's in the f---ing basement," Jimmy Allan screamed into the phone, according to a recording obtained by "Dateline: The Last Day," a new series devoted to exploring victims' final hours to shed light on their deaths, available to stream on Peacock. Eleanor Griego, one of the victims' mothers, had previously mentioned while commenting on the case: APD Detective Mark Manary, who continued working on the disappearances after Ida's retirement, also deserves a special mention. From the beginning, she was an important face in the Albuquerque Police Departments investigation into the citys largest unsolved crime. Investigators said it was a random encounter. All rights reserved. "Police and prosecutors say that they have narrowed the time of Cathy's death, apparently challenging Krauseneck's alibi and that the absence of DNA from anyone else in the home makes it unlikely that an intruder was responsible," Cincinatti.com reported. Josh Mankiewicz reports from New. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Latinos are not all junkies, dealers, prostitutes nor ignorant illegal aliens. Case in, With momentum generated by its first series sweep of the year, the New Mexico baseball. Katie also worked as a waitress at El Sombrero Patio Cafe,363 South Espina St.,a popular Las Cruces Mexican restaurant. Jacqueline Devine is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-541-5476,JDevine@lcsun-news.comor@JackieIsDevineon Twitter. Best of NBC News . Tonight's Dateline http://datl.in/fSpdzC, Anyone with information on the West Mesa murders is urged to contact (505)-768-2450 or. Updated: Jul 29, 2022 / 12:31 PM EDT. [26] In 2015, Blea was also suspected by police of killing a sex worker; his DNA sample was located on the inner waistband and belt of a sex worker found dead on Central Ave, a notorious street for sex work in the eastern part of the city. And the murders, which police believe were the work of a serial killer, remain unsolved. "She (Katie) was quite something. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Stephen Wells, president of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, has resigned from his post citing health reasons. A sinister force seems to be snatching women off the streets of Albuquerque.A sinister force seems to be snatching women off the streets of Albuquerque.A sinister force seems to be snatching women off the streets of Albuquerque. When they found them, she cried for them, too.. On December 9, 2010, Albuquerque police released six photos of seven other unidentified women who may also be linked to West Mesa. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Stars 04.04.2023 Justice for Kristin Smart Lopez, through Tixier, declined an interview with the Journal . The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. In 2015, Brighton police revisited this case along with the help of the FBI. LAS CRUCES Many residentsremember Katie Sepich from news storiesa young woman who walked home from a house party early one morning and never made it back insideher own home. In 2011, the Katie's Lawwas expanded to include all felony arrests. 19, 2016. It was updated on August 7, 2021.] Josh Mankiewicz reports from New Mexico. It does not store any personal data. She started about a year ago, according to Albuquerque police spokesman Tanner Tixier. lucky to be alive. For our first episode of 2018, we outline the still-unsolved murders of the West Mesa Serial Killer. Shapearl Wells' mission to find out who fatally shot her 22-year-old son, Courtney Copeland, in Chicago in March 2016 is the subject of the June 25, 2021 episode of "Dateline." (Dateline NBC /. Round 3 of Aggie-Lobo baseball is Tuesday; Aggies will With momentum generated by its first series sweep of the year, the New Mexico baseball team (22-17) jumps back into action on Tuesday, hosting Three men sentenced in torture, killings of 14- and A judge sentenced three men to two consecutive life sentences Monday in the 2018 beating and shooting deaths of two teenage boys on the New Mexico Tech university president resigns. Dateline NBCrevisited the 2003 slaying of Sepich, who was a graduate student at New Mexico State University at the time, in a two-hour episodetitled, "The Woman Who Couldn't Scream.". READ:'Dateline' to feature 2003 slaying of NMSU student Katie Sepich. Search for missing teens finds seven bodies on Oklahoma property, Celebrities show off their style at Met Gala, 8-year-old shares inspiring cancer treatment story online, Elite prep school admits it fell tragically short after students suicide, Restaurant industry pushes back amid N.Y. move to ban gas stoves in new buildings, How A.I. In this Dateline classic, an 18-year-old woman disappears one night and her boyfriend confesses to being verbally abusive and once kicked her. In 2014, a breakthrough on a decades-old case caused Albuquerque police to become interested in Joseph Blea as a suspect for the murders. united recovery and remarketing,