Here are another list of strange New Mexico cold cases. If you know anything, please call Crimestoppers at 505-843-STOP. You never know what small details might solve a case and give a family closure after many years of wondering.
Michelle Nina Sanchez
Michelle Nina Sanchez was found nude on the I40 mile marker 230 exit in Torrance County, near Cline’s Corner. She was last seen on July 14, 1999 and discovered dead two days later. She left behind a small daughter and grieving parents.
I wonder if she was a victim of a trucker driving through the area? That area sees a lot of long-haul trucking and random Interstate travelers. It is not clear what Sanchez’s lifestyle was, but she had previously been charged with criminal trespassing at the truck stop in Cline’s Corner, suggesting she may have been homeless or working the parking lot. That does not mean she deserved this, merely that she may have gotten into a truck with the wrong person.
It is not clear exactly how she died, but she did not deserve to die this way. So little public attention is given to this case and that is tragic.
Steve T. Sisneros
Steve Sisneros was found shot in his apartment on January 26, 2007. He was living in Belen at the time, apparently estranged from his wife. His case remains unsolved.
Police arrived at Sisneros’s apartment to serve him a restraining order. That’s when they found him dead of a gunshot wound to the upper body. It was unknown how long he had been dead. Articles did not clarify if his wife of 24 years, Annadine Sisneros, was living with him. I assume she must not have been to not report his death. So I wonder if the restraining order was filed by Annadine. Did that somehow play into his death?
Sisneros was very involved in his community. He belonged to the Moose Lodge, the Elks Lodge, and the Knights of Columbus. He was also a devout Catholic. He left behind his wife and four children. Not much else is available about his case, which seems strange. I’m sure his family and friends would love answers.
The Torrance County Severed Penis
A woman in Torrance County was horrified to discover a disembodied penis on her doorstep in 2007. She called 911 immediately and this led to a mystery that is still unsolved. It is unknown who the penis belongs to, or why it ended up on this woman’s doorstep. The penis is not believed to be related to the family whose house it was left at. No other remains from the body the penis was taken from have been found, either. It is not even known if the owner is alive or dead.
Theories include that the victim was a child molester and he was targeted in an act of vigilante justice. It is also thought this may have been a cartel-related death and the penis was left as a dark warning message to others. A final theory is that someone gave himself a home sex change, which seems pretty harcore and also unlikely because why would someone just leave their own penis on a random doorstep after something like that?
The penis has been sent to the state crime lab for identification via DNA. As of now, it has not been matched to any person. Police don’t know if they’re looking for the rest of a body or a living man without a penis.
https://www.koat.com/article/severed-penis-found-on-torrance-county-doorstep/5060413#
The Dog and the Leg
On April 25, 2001, a dog came trotting to his home in Edgewood, dragging something behind him. His owner stepped closer and realized it was a human leg, still wearing jeans and a boot. Later, the dog also brought in a skull that was believed to have gone with the leg. The remains were thought to have been buried in a shallow grave near Edgewood and scattered by wild animals – and the dog.
Torrance County sheriffs did not have much to go on besides the general area where the dog had been. So they searched within a seven-mile radius. They managed to find the other leg, but no other remains. They publicly stated the remains were no older than 30 days but the cause of death and identity of the decedent were not known at the time.
Weirdly, little else has been disclosed about this case and there seems to be no mention of it since. It is not clear what the gender of the remains is or if the person has been identified. So it lingers as a mystery. Just who was killed in Edgewood and why? Was it a homicide or a natural death in the wilderness? Where is the rest of the body?
Brian Edmonds
On July 29, 2001, a young man was found lying by the southbound lane of Hwy 68, near Velarde. He had been severely beaten and he was suffering severe head trauma. He was airlifted to UNM Hospital, where he was declared brain dead. At the time, his identity was listed as John Doe. John Doe was found at 2:30 am; he succumbed to his injuries at 1:30 pm. Authorities determined his death was a homicide due to the nature of his head injury.
On Monday, July 30, Brian Edmonds’ father reported him missing. That is when police discovered the John Doe who had died at UNM Hospital was actually Brian Edmonds. The thing that is bizarre is that Edmonds was only 16 and it is unknown who would have wanted him dead. It was a total surprise to everyone who knew him. It was also weird that he was killed less than a mile from his home.
The night of July 28, Brian Edmonds had gone to a birthday party at his neighbor’s house. He showed up to the party with a laceration to his head. It is unknown how he got the wound and he didn’t tell anybody. He had a good time at the party, not fighting or arguing with anyone, and then he left to walk home. Somewhere on that walk home, he was attacked. Police were called to the location of his body around 2:30 am.
Like with Ricardo Benavidez, it is unknown if someone struck Edmonds with a vehicle or a weapon. He died of trauma to his head, but the cause of that trauma is unknown. In initial reports in the newspaper, state police believed that Edmonds had been beaten and then his body had been staged to look like he was the victim of a hit and run. Edmonds was 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, and he was into bodybuilding and was able to pull his brother’s Chevy Blazer around the family’s yard in Alcade. Thus, it is believed that multiple people took part in his homicide and dumping.
Edmonds was a homeschool student. He was active in Reserve Officer Training Corps at Espanola Valley High School. He didn’t have any enemies. A cross honors his death on the southbound lane of NM 68.
Cynthia L. Deppe
Cynthia Deppe was last seen on October 9, 2013, in Los Lunas. She vanished without a trace. She had various animals which were left abandoned at her trailer. Police rounded the animals up and sent them to the shelter, then charged Deppe with animal cruelty. They seemed more concerned about the animals than the fact a woman had disappeared.
Now she is listed on the Charley Project as a “missing” but not endangered missing. A frustrating lack of data is available about her case. Was she the type to just up and disappear willingly? Was she involved in something dangerous, like drugs? Did she have an abusive relationship or an enemy? Who saw her last and who reported her missing?
Deppe was 50 years old when she vanished. She had brown hair and blue eyes and is described as a Caucasian female. If you know anything, please call the Valencia County Sheriff’s Department at 505-866-2400.