On Valentine's Day in 2004, 28-year-old Hispanic female Veronica Romero vanished from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her disappearance was a painful mystery for her loved ones, one that would remain unsolved for five long years. It wasn't until February of 2009 that a grim discovery on the city's West Mesa began to shed light on her fate. A woman walking her dog stumbled upon a human bone, triggering an extensive investigation that would unearth a mass grave.
Romero's remains were among those of eleven women and girls found buried in the desert landscape.
The case, which became known as the West Mesa Murders, revealed a string of killings that had occurred between 2001 and 2005. The victims, many of whom were Hispanic and had connections to drugs and sex work, ranged in age from 15 to 32. The discovery of the burial site, located in an undeveloped area that showed signs of disturbed soil and tire tracks between 2003 and 2005, sent a shockwave through the community and launched a massive homicide investigation.
Despite the years that have passed, the murder of Veronica Romero and the other ten victims remains unsolved. No arrests have been made, and no one has been charged in connection with the killings. Investigators have considered several men as persons of interest over the years. One was a pimp who knew one of the victims and died of natural causes before he could be fully investigated. Another is a convicted serial rapist, though a direct link to the West Mesa murders has not been established. The case is believed to be the work of a serial killer, sometimes referred to as the "West Mesa Bone Collector," though theories of a sex trafficking ring have also been considered. The investigation remains open, a cold case that continues to haunt the city of Albuquerque.
