These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Police would later determine the murder weapon was an ax that left a 3-inch gash. READ:'Dateline' to feature 2003 slaying of NMSU student Katie Sepich. Shapearl Wells' 22-year-old son Courtney Copeland died from a gunshot wound on March 4, 2016 in Chicago. FULL EPISODE: Somebody's Daughter FULL EPISODE: Somebody's Daughter A sinister force seemed to be snatching women off the streets of Albuquerque. NBC | CHCH | Air Date: December 10, 2010. Thirty-three years later, their sister, Shanta Sturgis, spoke to Dateline about . She was really sweet and outgoing but also a little bossy. Episode Summary. she's a young woman. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. She has made waves with her award-winning podcast Somebody about the subject, and the heartbreaking case will be examined on Friday nights Dateline episode The Story of Somebody. 2012-2023, 2paragraphs Productions, LLC. [1][2], An anonymous tip to authorities at APD and FBI linked the murders to a suspect from Central America. 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. 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. Katie also worked as a waitress at El Sombrero Patio Cafe,363 South Espina St.,a popular Las Cruces Mexican restaurant. only one detective to find them. The information is there but he gave no respect for the sufferings of the parents or siblings. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. >> for me, there was a story. is making brain cancer diagnosis faster than before. In 2008, Jayann started "DNA Saves," a nonprofit that aims to educate lawmakers and the public about power of DNA testing. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. [9] Some of the women appear to be unconscious, and many share the same physical characteristics as the original 11 victims. [15][16] 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. Tixier said the department decided to bring Lopez back because of her long connection to the case and her relationships with the victims families. The Dateline NBC episode "The Unusual Suspect" investigates the murders of two mothers and their teenage daughters in Prince Georges County, Maryland -- and their killer, Jason Thomas Scott. [21] In December 2006, Montoya strangled a teenage sex worker to death at his trailer and then was shot to death by the teen's boyfriend. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. She lost custody of Hailey and Dustin when the court ruled that Mike was the more stable parent. Josh Mankiewicz reports from New Mexico.Aug. 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. Less than three months after Sepich's slaying, Avila was arrested for aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon (knife) and resisting an officer. According to the New York Post, when he did return around 5 p.m., he was met with a gruesome scene. Case in, With momentum generated by its first series sweep of the year, the New Mexico baseball. Now, the Journal has learned she is back on the case. In November 2019, ABC News reported that Jim Krueseneck was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. She was the 10th victim to be identified, and her 15-year-old cousin Jamie Barela was the . In addition, a tree tag from a nursery was found in the area where the West Mesa victims' bodies were buried; it was tracked to a nursery Blea once frequented. When a 911 call came in just before 9 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2018, the caller sounded frantic. var sc_invisible=1; "She was going 90 miles per hourher whole life.". Dateline: Unforgettable airs every Tuesday on Oxygen at 8:00 PM ET. [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. 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. Posted: Jul 29, 2022 / 12:30 PM EDT. If you have information about the West Mesa murders, please contact APD at 1-877-765-8273 or (505) 768-2450. "Jim, I hope you live to be a hundred years old and enjoy your new home," he told his former son-in-law. 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.. Avila later confessed to killingSepich, saying he nearly struck herwith his truck the night of her slaying. A 42-year-old New York man has been arrested in the 2003 murder of Megan McDonald, whose baffling case featured on "Dateline" ahead of the solemn 20-year anniversary of her death. Lopez caught national attention by appearing on Dateline in a story about the West Mesa case that aired in December 2010. Lopezs alma mater) who has written several books on serial killings, said: You cant have a colder cold case, Gibson said. 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. 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 /. The police are reportedly willing to reward $100,000 to anybody who provides information on the West Mesa murders. Born Kathryn Jaye Sepich in Carlsbad, New Mexico,she was the oldest of three children. His mother Shapearl Wells is not giving up the fight to find out the truth. Marron-Keating accompanied Jim Krauseneck and his daughter to the Brighton Police Department. 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. [21][27] Blea had women's underwear and jewellery not belonging to his wife or daughter in his home and allegedly told a cellmate that he had hired the West Mesa victims, who he called "trashy". "She would say, 'This is what were doing,lets go. 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. 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. It is not enough for your reporter to offer the dry facts without giving respect to the human and humane nature of grief and the long painful process of healing after the loss of one's child, at any age. Somebody's Daughter | Dateline NBC Episode on Amazon Music Somebody's Daughter Dateline NBC Sep 20 2021 1 hr 24 mins A sinister force seems to be snatching women off the streets of Albuquerque. Lopezs investigation found that close to two dozen women with similar profiles were missing. (NBC) Friday on "Dateline," when Diane Kyne is found dead in her bedroom, competing stories emerge about which of . On May 9, 2018, roughly three months after Becky Kunze's death, Sarah Hartsfield fatally shot her onetime fianc in the large home they had moved to from Texas months before. [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. for a lot of people, that would be the end of police work. Ida Lopez previously appeared on Dateline in an episode on the West Mesa tragedy which aired in December, 2010. Twins Vivica and Vianca Corley of Eldorado High hope to carry on a tradition of tennis excellence that began with older sisters Ivana and Syracuse transfer looks to shine for University of New You never know when some of those past recruiting trips might pay off. She started about a year ago, according to Albuquerque police spokesman Tanner Tixier. Should NM lawmakers have field offices and staffers? "If she would've left 30 seconds earlier or even a minute earlier or later, he would've never seen her," Myers stated. 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. Albuquerque police spokesperson Tanner Tixier stated that she returned in 2015 to continue working on the unsolved case. Meet Detective Ida Lopez, bringing justice to missing women & their families. Had Katie's Law been in effect, he would have been required to submit a DNA sample then. 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. Who killed Cathleen Krauseneck? 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. Now, she was determined to beat them on the job using her head and her heart. 'Dateline' has answers. 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. Stephen Wells, president of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, has resigned from his post citing health reasons. She put her whole heart into it. In 2005, she was handed two missing persons files including missing 25-year-old Michelle. Latinos are not all junkies, dealers, prostitutes nor ignorant illegal aliens. Then, in 2014, with the mass killing still unsolved, Lopez moved out of state and retired. They dont see black men as human, Shapealr told People. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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. Investigators said it was a random encounter. "I feel that you dont always see somebody who was as beautiful as her but also self-deprecating," Amy Barnhart, Katie's friend stated. . She was a daughter, sister, best friend and a leader. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Over time, a number of men have attracted police attention, though not named as full suspects, in connection with the murders. In this Dateline classic, Josh Mankiewicz reports on the story of a mother's fight for justice after her daughter and 10-month-old grandson are found strangled to death in their home. On December 9, 2010, Albuquerque police released six photos of seven other unidentified women who may also be linked to West Mesa. Satellite imagery taken between 2003 and 2005 shows tire marks and patches of disturbed soils in the area where the remains were recovered. 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. Two girls, Michella Welch and Jennifer Bastian, disappeared five months apart while on bike rides through Tacoma's city parks, but decades after the brutal crimes, detectives would come to a surprising and unexpected realization about the crimes. Prior to Lopezs return, one investigator, Detective Mark Manary, remained on the case full time. >> so she searched as the numbers grew. Who killed her? 1:55 Preview Jenni Bastian Goes Missing 2:01 The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The upcoming episode, titled Somebody's Daughter, will air on Oxygen on Tuesday, July 12, at 8:00 PM ET. "She was always my protector but also my best friend.". A sinister force seems to be snatching women off the streets of Albuquerque. "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. "Dateline" has five correspondents, and Keith Morrison, seventy-three, is perhaps its most iconic. Her complete depth of knowledge of this case is not something that can be just passed along to the next detective who takes over the case, Tixier said. The family of the victim was able to get a law passed Florida requiring 911 dispatch operators to be state certified position. Only one signficant discovery was made along the way, which is that they were all murdered. For our first episode of 2018, we outline the still-unsolved murders of the West Mesa Serial Killer. Prosecutors dropped charges in the other killings (mother and daughterKaren and Karissa Lofton, and Vilma Butler). Lopez spent years investigating the case and soon became a significant figure in the West Mesa murders. 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. Evelyn Salazar was reported missing on April 3, 2004, by her family. thanks for watching. [12] Michelle Valdez was four months pregnant at the time of her death.[13]. Evidently, in early 1982 the Eastman Kodak Company became aware of this fabrication, as did Cathleen Krauseneck. Brittani was lying on the floor, covered in blood. so many young women missing. 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. He was "making emotional sounds screaming, growling, that kind of thing he didnt say anything. In this case, there was almost nothing but bones.. For more than three years, the case remained unsolved until DNA from a convicted felon turned up a partial match in 2006. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. Tonight's Dateline http://datl.in/fSpdzC, Anyone with information on the West Mesa murders is urged to contact (505)-768-2450 or. 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. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. [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]. Its still a mystery who shot Courtney, or what exactly happened the day he died. by 2Paragraphs in Culture, True Crime Murder TV | July 27, 2019, The Dateline episode Somebodys Daughter shines the light on Albuquerque Detective Ida Lopez. 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. "And to find out what we actually accomplished. Josh Mankiewicz reports from New Mexico. But he seems to have a solid alibi and there is evidence that points to someone else. 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. [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. "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.". A sinister force seemed to be snatching women off the streets of Albuquerque. Dannette and Jeannette Millbrook, 15-year-old fraternal twins, were last seen in Augusta, Georgia on March 18, 1990. Bischoff was later cleared. The upcoming episode, titled Somebody's Daughter, will air on Oxygen on Tuesday, July 12, at 8:00 PM ET. In 2009, the bodies of 11 women were found in multiple shallow graves on the West Mesa of Albuquerque but the cases remain unsolved. An ambulance was called, and his heart stopped on the way to the hospital. 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.. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "My . Watch Dateline Episode: Somebody's Daughter - NBC.com Somebody's Daughter A sinister force seems to be snatching women off the streets of Albuquerque. The city would not release footage from surveillance cameras. Syllania Edwards, a 15-year-old runaway from Lawton, Oklahoma, was the only African American, and the only victim from out of state. He said he pulled over to make sure she was OK, then followed her to make sure she got home safely. Ida Lopez was unable to solve the case she was so closely attached to before her retirement and relocation in 2014.

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