Roberto Benavidez was a 22-year-old college student at Western New Mexico University in the spring of 2012, when he was found beaten in the head and unconscious in the middle of Aztec Street in Hurley, New Mexico. img7on.src="../images/btn7_on.jpg"; End Function. So, how do we explain the following four unsolved mysteries in New Mexico? 4:05 pm. browserVer = parseInt(navigator.appVersion); The good news is that we can answerthis question for you, Nancy: a well respected sheriff solved this mystery. The business had been foreclosed and Ron was now bankrupt, with $2million in debt. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. August 12, 2017 @ img9off=new Image(); Brian is right, those two men are long dead. img5off=new Image(); 1960 Remarks: Speaks with a slight Spanish accent. img2on.src="../images/btn2_on.jpg"; Southern New Mexico Unsolved Murders Highlighting cold case homicides & disappearances in Southwestern New Mexico. My input would be that a bowling alley would be a very odd place to rob. Silver City, New Mexico. The three adults and four children were each shot in the head and before leaving the bowling alley, the killers set fire to the paperwork on Stephanies desk. Now, there's a new question: is the key to this cold case somewhere in Albuquerque? Joseph Henry Loveless (45) was an American bootlegger and accused murderer who was killed by unknown means, dismembered and hidden in a pair of burlap sacks in Buffalo Cave near Dubois, Idaho. img2on=new Image(); The gunmen shot the victims in an office, then set fire to a desk in the room and left the scene. These crimes were shocking for several reasons: one of the victims was a child, the bodies were never found, and Fountain was a well-known, public figure. Gender: Male Lori Smith. Or What about Father Reynaldo? Annette Gutirrez-Millspaugh. As the 31st year since two children, their father and others were murdered at the Las Cruces Bowling Alley slips by, Anthony Teran, brother of Steve Teran who died that Feb. 10 with his daughters, still lives with the knowledge and memory of that event. With no new information, police began to look at tips from all over the United States, but again, no potential suspects were identified. In fact, a mental institution had just recently released him back into society. Cricket in the Web: The 1949 Unsolved Murder That Unraveled Politics in New Mexico. View all cases sorted by Here are four unsolved mysteries in New Mexico, one historical, and three more recent. location.href=mail_str Several local, state, and even federal law enforcement organizations have published public annual crime reports on their websites, which detail the types and frequency of crimes in that area, if youre interested in learning more about crimes in New Mexico. Weight: 170 lbs. streets, maybe even in your neighborhood. [2] Not seeing anyone in the alley, Teran entered Senac's office and stumbled onto the crime scene. card search on end of the data that you enter. Unsolved Mysteries - Bowling Alley Murder. Select Homicides It was about 8:00 A.M. and just an hour before opening time. Las Cruces Bowling Alley Massacre. Less than one year later, on June 15, 1989, a woman found a photograph in a grocery store parking lot depicting a young woman and a young boy, both of whom were bound with duct tape and appeared to be Tara and another missing child. At 9 am, police stopped a car with four men inside. Sloppy at best.tried and failed to eliminate the witnesses.tried and failed to burn the place down. Many viewed the land speculator as a crook - he had few friends. Among those enemies were a couple of powerful landowners, including Lee. He was the center of much controversy and had a lot of debt. Almost immediately, the police began receiving masses of tips, and they ended up opening another phone line to deal with the call volumes. img3off=new Image(); img3on.src="../images/btn3_on.jpg"; He was a controversial and wacky figure. He said he had stopped by the bowling alley on his way to school: I saw two Hispanic gentlemen walking from the back of the building towards the front. In 2021, only . [Site Map] [Memorials] Las Cruces author, Paula Moore, wrote about this unsolved mystery in her book Cricket in the Web. This attractive, young womans death helped unravel the corrupt political environment in New Mexico at the time. By Elva K. sterreich. img5on=new Image(); In addition, a few examples of the numerous unsolved murders in Santa Fe, New Mexico, include the 1998 murder of Mitchell Hanrahan, the 1988 murder of Annette Gonzales, the 1985 murder of Susan LaPorte, the 1986 murder of Roberta Michelle Montoya, and the 1981 murder of Beverly Ann Riccio, among many others. As the gunmen were emptying the bowling alley's safe, 26-year-old Steven Teran and his daughters, 6-year-old Paula Holguin (no relation to Ida Holguin) and 2-year-old Valerie Teran entered the building. We couldnt include them all in this post, but if we didnt get to your comment, stay tuned for Part 3 in our series of unsolved mysteries in New Mexico. On the morning of February 10, 1990, the bowling alley's manager, 34-year-old Stephanie C. Senac, was in her office preparing to open the business with her 12-year-old daughter Melissa Repass and Melissa's 13-year-old friend Amy Houser, who were planning to supervise the alley's day care. The case keeps coming up even to this day. Thank you dear readers for contributing to this conversation with the mysteries you recall that we had yet to discover. In all, 11+ victims were found and identified over the following year. In addition, the homicide rate in New Mexico was around 8.6 per 100,000 residents, according to the same Uniform Crime Report from 2019. February 13, 2018 @ Thanks to your eye opening comments, we now want to know what ever happened to.. Surprised the murders of my Grandfather Albert Jennings Fountain and his 8 year old son Henry was not mentioned. Justice?, The Las Cruces bowling alley massacre can be compared to that of the. [Feedback] [Contact] Amy Houser, 13, Paula Holguin, six, and Steve Teran, 26 all died from their injuries at the scene. 4:20 pm. It is not known if she is still alive, or where she may be. It sounds like they had an initial plan and then something went wrong and they felt the need to eliminate all the would-be eye witnesses. document[imgName].src = eval(imgName + "on.src"); Your email address will not be published. Throughout history, New Mexico seems to have dealt withmore than its fair share of New Mexico killers and New Mexico serial killers. The first entry on this list of New Mexicos unsolved mysteries is among the most disturbing. He was the custodian of the bowling alley, which used to be owned by Ron Senac until it went bankrupt a few years earlier. if (theYear < 1900) } img7on.src="../images/btn7_on.jpg"; theYear=now.getYear() Trends Analytics. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! } Software Solutions. Stephanie's 12-year-old daughter, Melissa, and . The original version of Katie's Law, which passed in 2006, mandated that anyone arrested for a violent felony had to provide authorities with a DNA sample. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. img5on.src="../images/btn5_on.jpg"; Many considered him to bedishonest and immoral. Las Cruces Bowl via New Mexico Police Department. According to Project: Cold Case, there wereapproximately 6,579 homicides in New Mexico between 1980and 2019. With the leads theyd received going nowhere, police began to look at the robbery in more detail. She was only 13 -16 and I never heard anything else about her. There was a specific motive involved here and it had to do with this bowling alley for some reason. NewMexi.Co His body and truck were found about 3 3/4 miles east of the Eddy / Lea county line. Her remains were located 1.6 miles past the Lower Gallinas Campground outhouses on June 28, 2014. The day manager, Stephanie, was in the office adding up the previous nights receipts. } On February 2nd 2009, the bodies of 11 women and one unborn child were found in a mass grave on the edge of Albuquerque. After all, its a strange man who invents his own secret society then uses it as a weapon against anyone who opposes him. img4off.src="../images/btn4.jpg"; Sadly, it seems that there may never be an end to the number of New Mexico homicide and true crime stories in New Mexico, despite law enforcements best efforts. img8on=new Image(); [Reflections] [Resources] theYear=now.getYear() It was reported she went for a swim in the swollen Mimbres River. Height: 57 Other mysteries of New Mexico include disappearances, like the disappearance of Tara Calico on September 20, 1988, when she went on a bike ride in her neighborhood. Our next unsolved mystery in New Mexico is even more baffling and will likely never be solved since it occurred nearly 88 years ago in 1929. Feb. 3Las Cruces forever changed on Feb. 10, 1990. [Bulletin Board] [Organization] AstroFriday at San Juan College Planetarium. browserName = navigator.appName; These guys were amateurs! Las Cruces Bowl via New Mexico Police Department Shortly after 8 am, on the 10th of February 1990, police received a call from a distressed child, who claimed she'd been shot in the head. Stephanie Senac (aged 34) arrived at Las Cruces Bowl along with her daughter Melissa Repass (aged 12), and Amy Hauser (aged 13). Police suspected that someone murdered the two victims. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Just a short drive away from El Paso, Texas, Las Cruces has a population of around 100,000, making it the second largest city in New Mexico. May 30, 2017 @ img6on=new Image(); There was between $4,000 and $5,000 in total. function imgOn(imgName) { img6on.src="../images/btn6_on.jpg"; Will they ever be solved? May 25, 2017 @ Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.www.facebook.com In 1883, an Englishman named Arthur Rochford Manby arrived in New Mexico. Linda Tellington-Jones. Despite being shot five times, 12-year-old Melissa was still alive and through the fire was beginning to fill the room with smoke, she managed to find the phone and call the police, something shed learned at school just a week earlier. They showed up at the Las Cruces Bowl shortly before it was scheduled to open at 8 a.m. on a quiet Saturday, just an ordinary sleepy weekend in a. Ron reopened the bowling alley six days after the massacre and attention soon turned to him. function mailer() location.href=mail_str It was when two men walked into a Las Cruces bowling alley and shot seven people execution style including four children. } The bad news is that Lollie did not survive. { Others remained convinced that he was killed by one of his enemies in Taos, New Mexico. Name. As Teran had been unable to find a babysitter for his two daughterstwo-year-old Valerie Teran and six-year-old Paula Holguin (no relation to Ida)he intended to drop them off at the alley's day care. and the loved ones of 102 First responders arrived in only a minute, but they discovered a grisly scene. Also the disappearance of young Robbie Romero from Santa Fe, circa 2000. what about the disappearance of Jimmy Mathews in February 2000. He also founded the Mesilla Valley Independent, a newspaper printed in Spanish and English. 1940 to 1950 Over three decades later, the Las Cruces bowling alley massacre remains unsolved. Blood, skin cells, sperm,or other types ofDNA evidence, cell phone pings, weapons, andmost commonly, Santa Fe County murders crime scene photos, which are frequentlyused to highlight theatmosphere around the crime in addition to any other aspects of the crime sceneto the judge and jury. The most recent of New Mexico's unsolved murder mysteries came to light in February of 2009. Is there a New Mexico mystery that continues to haunt you? img4off=new Image(); Her car was found parked at the Lower Gallinas Campground on Highway 152 in the Black Range of the Gila National Forest. Even after more than 30 years, law enforcement and family members of the victims hold out hope that the case can be closed and the culprits brought to justice. which occurred with in a date range, [Home] [SiteMap][Home] [Memorials] [Unsolved] [Grief] [Reflections] [Resources] [BulletinBoard] [Organization] [Contact] [Search], Lastly, some examples of the many unsolved murders in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, which can be found in the same lists/databases include the 1986 murder of Gloria Mares, the 2008 murder of Scott Lloyd, and the 1975 murder of Debbie Cargill, among many others. Location: Las Cruces, New Mexico Date: February 10, 1990 Case Details: On February 10, 1990, cook Ida Holgun was in the kitchen of the Las Cruces Bowling Alley, preparing for lunch. Get more stories delivered right to your email. According to numerous data sources, the violent crime rate in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2018 was approximately 395.6 per 100,000 residents of the relatively small city, and the Santa Fe, New Mexico, murders rate was around 5.94 the same year. img7on=new Image(); The law was created following the 2003 rape and murder of 22-year-old Katie Sepich in Las Cruces. According to Ron Senac, hed spent a lot of time with the police, trying to help them. img6off=new Image(); As soon as I saw this case on unsolved mysteries on Pluto just now I knew the outcome for the two robbers! Last updated December 15, 2022 Janson Secody Missing Aztec, NM January 11, 2011 (browserName=="Microsoft Internet Explorer" && browserVer >= 4)) ver = "yes"; (l-r) Paula Holguin and Valerie Teran via Sun-News. Firefighters extinguished the fire, while paramedics tended to the injured, but there were so many personnel on-site and water from the hoses soaking everything, any evidence left behind was compromised, apart from a few footprints and shell casings. She left her home in Belen and was last sighted on Highway 47 in Valencia County. img4off.src="../images/btn4.jpg"; function imgOff(imgName) { See the Unsolved Mysteries episode: Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack . 6:51 am. Stephanie Senac eventually died in 1999, due to issues with her injuries. Theories abounded on what happened to the two likely murder victims, as their bodies were never found, nor was any clear evidence concerning who might have done it. else ver = "no"; It wasnt just any murder, but the murder and attempted murder of seven innocent people, including four children and two adults under the age of 35. authorities. Cold Case Homicides Missing Memorials to our lost loved ones who were victims of murder. Meanwhile, there have been plenty of reports of paranormal activity in the restaurant next to Manbys old home. The identified victims included two 15 year olds, Jamie Barela and Syllania Edwards; two 22 year olds, Michelle Valdez (four months pregnant) and Monica Candelaria; three 24 year olds, Virginia Cloven, Doreen Marquez, and Julie Nieto; 26 year old, Victoria Chavez; 27 year old, Evelyn Salazar; 28 year old Veronica Romero; and 32 year old, Cinnamon Elks. 31 years after the murders, the killers are still free. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance. These murders were never solved. 12. Hair: Dark, wavy The descriptions of the men were made into composites and distributed to law enforcement and news stations across the United States and Mexico. img8on=new Image(); img6off.src="../images/btn6.jpg"; DOB: Approx. La Posada Hotel. As of the latest count, there were more than 85,000 people living in Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico, which is significantly fewer than the states largest city, Albuquerque. They never were mentioned by Mexican authorities to this crime because it just happend right after the bowling alley murders somewhere in Mexico. [2][6] The U.S. Customs Service, Army and Border Patrol searched the area with planes and helicopters, but no arrests were made. EMsg = "Invalid date, Please enter a valid date in both the From and To date fields, or you may leave both blank." We know what happened, but not who did it. If you have any information on The bartender recognized the kidnappers image, and this led to the arrest of William T. Altum. img10on=new Image(); img4on=new Image(); // end hiding -->, [NMSOH] Teran was the bowling alley's technician and had brought his daughters to work after being unable to find childcare for the day. Police hope for new information in brutal Las Cruces murders after 25 years - CNN x = Document.MyForm.sBegDate.Value One of the men took the girls into the managers office where a surprised Stephanie was working, and the other went to find Ida in the kitchen. victim's name Can Do That! [13], This case was featured on Unsolved Mysteries two and a half months after the murders, and on America's Most Wanted twice, once in November 2004 and again in March 2010.[14]. document[imgName].src = eval(imgName + "on.src"); Plenty of people had a motive to kill him, yet he also had a motive to kill. [1][2] They then set the office on fire by igniting some papers before leaving the alley. Again, any DNA around the safe or around anything the killers may have touched should be uploaded to GEDmatch.com and familial DNA could solve this quick. View all cases sorted by city of A beautiful place. window.onerror=null; img8off.src="../images/btn8.jpg"; browserVer = parseInt(navigator.appVersion); As a lawyer and politician, Fountain was not without enemies. At the auction for the bowling alley, she held up a sign which read. } Toni Padilla went missing on July 3, 2020. img8on.src="../images/btn8_on.jpg"; img5off.src="../images/btn5.jpg"; Despite the discovery of this photograph, it is not known what happened to Tara, or why. There is no way in hell that a crime of this magnitude involving at least two individuals simply fades into oblivion. if (theYear < 1900) What are some fascinating unsolved mysteries in New Mexico? 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