Summary
Circumstances of the case:
From 2001 to 2006, multiple women began to go missing. The rate of disappearance was much higher than it has been in the past and especially in recent years. The women who went missing ranged from ages fifteen to thirty-two with one woman being four months pregnant. In 2009, the remains were discovered by accident when a woman was walking her dog and spotted a bone near the West Mesa in Albuquerque, New Mexico. From there a full investigation was launched and there is still no conviction of the killer.
Law Enforcement Involvement:
This case is currently still under investigation. Information has been released but there is belief that the list of suspects given to the public is not comprehensive. When the first bone was discovered, the Albuquerque police department was notified and the investigation began. The rest of the remains were then excavated and identified by forensic anthropologists. The police department of Albuquerque has announced an $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. If you have any leads or information about the victims or suspects, please call 1-877-765-8273 or 505-768-2450 to reach the 118th Street Task Force. Any information is valid whether you have been in the area of disappearances or know of anyone who may know more.
Victims:
There were 11 victims identified from the remains found at the site ranging from 15 years old to 32. Below you will find them from youngest to oldest, including name, age, and photograph.
Jamie Barela Syllania Edwards Gina Michelle Valdez Monica Candelaria Julie Nieto Doreen Marquez
- 15 years old
- youngest victim
- 15 years old
- 22 years old
- 4 months pregnant
- 22 years old
- 24 years old
- 24 years old
Virginia Cloven Victoria Chavez Evelyn Salazar Veronica Romero Cinnamon Elks
- 24 years old
- 26 years old
- 28 years old
- 28 years old
- 32 years old
Potential suspects:
There is speculation over the official number of potential suspects for this case. The two who have been identified to the public are Lorenzo Montoya and Joseph Blea. Below you will find information surrounding each suspect alongside a photograph.
Joseph Blea
Joseph Blea is one of the suspects for the West Mesa Murders. Initially, Blea’s first wife named April Gillen gave his name to police and said he should be investigated. Blea is currently in prison for four separate sexual assaults and is currently serving 90 years.
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His DNA has been found on a victim from another incident in 1985 but he has not been charged in relation to that crime. It was released that he had many encounters with the police before the West Mesa case. Between the years of 1990 to 2009, over 130 encounters had occurred between Blea and the police. He has also been known to frequent the East Central corridor, where many of the victims had reportedly frequented as well.
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There have been multiple past concerns surrounding Blea, such as a report that he exposed himself unexpectedly to a woman walking by. Later it was discovered he had electrical tape and some rope in the passenger seat of his car during this time. He has also been seen intently observing women on Central Ave in Albuquerque for an extended period of time while driving around. He has also reportedly attempted to tie up a prostitute who he had over his house.
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At his home, women’s underwear and jewelry were found and his wife Cheryl Blea stated that the jewelry was unfamiliar but the underwear was his. Some of the victims were seen to have missing jewelry but it has not been stated that this matched the jewelry found at Blea’s residence.
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A former cellmate reported that Blea has spoken about the West Mesa case before and said he knew the victims through prostitution. He was also said to have spoken in negative tones about the victims and admitted to hitting one of them during a meetup. Another potential connection to the case was the finding of a plant tag at the site of the remains. This plant tag was traced back to a nursery that Blea may have purchased from in the past. There has been no further resolution of this case and Blea remains in prison.
Lorenzo Montoya
Since Lorenzo Montoya’s death in 2006, he has been named a suspect in the West Mesa Murders. The victims’ remains were found in 2009, almost three years after his death. Montoya in the past had been knowingly violent, and frequented the East Central area the same as Blea. Around the time of his death police had begun to question a potential connection to disappearing prostitutes.
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In 1998 he was arrested for becoming a client of prostitution. A year later in 1999, he again found himself with a prostitute and this time drove her to a private area. When he was approached by the police and arrested it was revealed he did not have the money to pay the woman. The officers claim that Montoya planned to rape and kill the woman. The case was dismissed at a later time. Four years then passed and he was arrested for soliciting a prostitute again.
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As for his private life, at one point in his relationship, his girlfriend claimed domestic violence against Montoya and stated that he was abusive. A quote from her is as follows: “He threatened to kill me and bury me in lime”. In 2006 a search warrant was obtained describing that Montoya killed an escort at his home and used duct tape and cord to tie up her wrists, ankles, and knees. The boyfriend of the escort came by to see her and then proceeded to shoot Montoya and gave him fatal wounds.
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Within Montoya’s home trailer, it was found that there was extreme pornography, sex tapes he had created himself, and materials such as duct tape. On one of the tapes, it cuts out and nothing can be seen. Throughout the audio it is believed to be the noises of tape securing a trash bag among other occurrences. This tape has yet to provide any further details even after enhancement. On another tape, there are two escorts shown and police are on the search for these women in the hopes they are still alive.
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Upon testing Montoya’s carpet for potential DNA of the victims from the mesa, a negative result was obtained. His financial receipts and records were then searched and nothing appeared astray. Even statements from his family and girlfriend indicate their belief he is innocent.