A Thorn in Their Side

Joseph Blea is a convicted rapist from Albuquerque, New Mexico and is one of two persons of interest in the unsolved west mesa murders. We take a look at the evidence (or lack of) against him, and why he's remained in the public eye for so long. 

Former Albuquerque Police Sgt Thomas Grover talks with us about his time at APD and how the dysfunction in the department affected the investigation into the unsolved west mesa murders. 

In the past 11 years, only two persons of interest have continued to stay in the public eye. Lorenzo Montoya is one of the two people that police say is a potential suspect in the unsolved case of the west mesa murders. 

In 2007, journalist Maggie Shepherd went on a police ride along that would make public one detectives search for a list of missing women from Albuquerque she called "her girls". Several of those women were found buried on the mesa. 

In February 2009, 11 women and 1 unborn child were found on the west mesa, on the outskirts of Albuquerque, NM. It took investigators 2 1/2 months to unearth all of their remains. We speak with Christine Ross, a woman walking her dog who found the bone that led to the the discovery of the largest crime scene in Albuquerque history. 

Between 2001-2006 an alarming number of women went missing from the streets of Albuquerque, New Mexico. There were at least 16 women estimated to have gone missing. In 2009, the remains of 11 women and 1 unborn child were found on the mesa to the west of the city limits. No arrests have ever been made, It is the largest unsolved murder case in New Mexico. It was the largest crime scene in Albuquerque history. They are called The West Mesa Murders. They may also be the work of a serial killer. Welcome to The Mesa.