A Bone Jutting from a Dusty Trail Led to a Horrifying Find — and the Hunt for 'Bone Collector' Serial Killer By Christina Coulter

Sixteen years after 11 women and an unborn child were found buried on Albuquerque’s West Mesa in New Mexico, the so-called “West Mesa Bone Collector” is still unidentified — and families are still searching for answers.

On February 2, 2009, according to the Albuquerque Police Department, Christine Ross and her dog Ruca stumbled upon a bone protruding from a dusty trail. Ross texted a photo to her sister, a registered nurse, who replied that it appeared to be a human femur.

That chance discovery triggered an excavation that led to the uncovering of the largest homicide case in APD’s history.

The dig along 118th Street SW revealed shallow graves containing the bodies of women who had vanished between 2001 and 2005 — most were Latina sex workers in their 20s, though some victims were as young as 15. Their disappearances often went unreported or under-investigated, leaving families desperate for answers.

Among the victims was Veronica Romero, a 27-year-old Albuquerque woman who disappeared in 2004. Her boyfriend, Clay Dean, later told A&E True Crime the stretch where many of the victims worked was “literally like Walmart for vice.”

“The people circling around it are either prostitutes, johns, dealers or cops. And they all know each other,” he told the outlet.

APD cold case investigator Liz Thomson, who has since retired and left the investigation, told CBS News that the killer was likely someone “charming or friendly, in order to build trust or a relationship of some kind with the woman first.”

“This person is a predator, he sought out vulnerable women,” she said.

Investigators spent years focusing on two men as key persons of interest: Joseph Blea and Lorenzo Montoya.

Blea, a convicted rapist who is currently serving a 90-year prison sentence, was allegedly observed by police “cruising the strip where sex workers worked and picking them up,” per A&E.

Investigators discovered a plant tag near one of the victims’ remains — authorities say the tag pointed to Blea, who worked in landscaping.

“We went through thousands of receipts from nurseries, but weren’t able to connect Blea to the murders,” former detective Paul Geier told A&E.

Blea’s DNA has been used to secure convictions in unrelated rape cases, but police have not announced any DNA match tying him to the West Mesa graves. Blea has denied any involvement in the case.

Montoya, meanwhile, lived near the burial zone and was known for violence against sex workers. He died in 2006 after strangling a teenage sex worker — only to be fatally shot by her boyfriend before he could be arrested.

During the 2009 excavation, investigators discovered tire tracks leading from the burial site to a street near Montoya’s former home.

“We lost [Montoya], who I think was probably our best suspect,” Geier said. “He lived a very short distance from the burial zone.”

Because Montoya died before police could charge him, and because of limitations in New Mexico’s DNA law, his DNA has not been uploaded to CODIS — the FBI’s national DNA database — for comparison.

Nearly 1,200 tips have come in over the years, and about 200 women with arrest records for drugs and prostitution have been interviewed as part of the case, per CBS News.

Authorities say eight women with similar life circumstances remain missing, raising fears there could be more victims still undiscovered. A task force is currently auditing all tips to ensure none are missed.

Police conducted additional searches using ground-penetrating radar, and even reexamined other cold cases to look for possible links. In 2021, another search was conducted based on a tip, according to CBS, but nothing turned up.

Major challenges have plagued the investigation — especially the lack of a clear cause of death for the victims.

“These women weren’t shot, there was no evidence that they were shot and killed or blunt force trauma,” Thomson said in a 2022 APD video.

Authorities believe most victims were strangled, but evidence is scant after years underground. APD has not disclosed whether any usable suspect DNA was recovered from the burial site, though investigators say the condition of the remains has limited forensic options.

A major hurdle is New Mexico’s DNA law, which bars police from uploading DNA from deceased suspects like Montoya into CODIS unless they were charged before death.

Earlier this year, APD Commander Kyle Hartsock told KRQE the department is backing legislation to change that.

“We want to know: is he tied to other cases of sexual assaults, violent attacks, murders? But right now, we’re not allowed to,” Hartsock said.

There is still a $100,000 reward for tips leading to an arrest and conviction in the ‘West Mesa Bone Collector’ case.

“The lack of closure in such a massive tragedy continues to confound families and friends,” Dean said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the 118th Street Task Force at 505-768-2450 or Crime Stoppers at 505-843-STOP.