Agnes Tybo
Agnes Tybo is one of Albuquerque’s many cold cases. Tybo was visiting Albuquerque in November 1983 with family to attend the state rodeo. She checked into the Sundowner Motel on Central, which is now an apartment complex. Her family members were staying in the same motel, a few doors down from her. They arrived before Agnes and requested that the front desk call them when Agnes checked in. The front desk never did, so they never realized Agnes had arrived.
Agnes appeared to enjoy a quiet evening in her motel room. Then, sometime that night, someone entered Agnes’s room and strangled her to death. There was no sign of forced entry and Agnes was not one to randomly let people into her room, so it is thought she knew her assailant or they had a key. Agnes Tybo put up a fierce fight for her life. Though she was 71, she was not a weak woman. The room was a complete mess with blood spots and overturned furniture.
At her funeral, scrapings of flesh could be seen under her nails, meaning her assailant had significant defensive wounds. I wonder if her family would permit for her body to be exhumed so that DNA could be retrieved from her nails? Her neck was wrapped in a scarf to hide the strangle marks. Her granddaughter, Jennifer Tybo, remembers her looking at peace in her coffin. Now, Jennifer Tybo continues to fight for her grandmother’s case to be solved, over 40 years later.
Agnes Tybo had won a lot of cash at a casino prior to checking into the motel. That cash was missing. The motive is believed to be robbery. An important detail to note is that Agnes paid for her room in cash, so someone in the front office may have seen the fat wad of bills in her wallet. It is also possible she told someone she trusted that she had won big.
People in the motel reported seeing a black man knocking on doors earlier that evening, looking for somebody. One person said they heard a commotion and screams from Agnes Tybo’s room but they didn’t intervene as they thought it was some kind of domestic dispute. This person gave a description for a sketch to be created. The sketch resembled a rodeo clown who was in town that day. The rodeo clown was interviewed but ruled out somehow.
However, Detective Liz Thompson says in the Duke City podcast that she thinks that the witness who made this tip is suspicious, due to the fact that members of their group claimed they didn’t know anything when police first interviewed them. The witness then came forward later and said their group told them not to talk to police. Thompson thinks this tipster may have been making a false report to lead investigators off the scent of the real killer. Thus, the sketch may be more of a red herring or distraction than a useful clue. You can hear more about that theory on the APD’s cold case podcast episode about Tybo.
I do want to offer the observation that Central is a rough area of Albuquerque and a lot of people are raised to mind their own business and not trust police, especially in rough areas. So the people who refused to talk to police may have simply been abiding by hood honor.
In the podcast, Detective Liz Thompson says that they have blood spots and other evidence from the crime scene. The evidence has been well-preserved. New forensic technology could crack this case open still. I sure hope so. Forty years is too long for Agnes Tybo’s to wait. Agnes Tybo was a grandmother, mother, sister, daughter, and friend. She was loved by many.
If you know anythng, you can contact Crimestoppers and get a cash reward at 505-843-STOP.
Jansen Franklinda Secody
Jansen Secody vanished in Aztec, NM, on January 11, 2011. Her boyfriend said she left to walk to work, never to be seen or heard from again. She did not appear to make it to work. Her boyfriend reported her missing when she never returned home. The lack of media attention and details in her case is frustrating and she deserves better.
She was 28 at the time and her birthday is September 17, 1982. She was 5’6” and 230 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, a red jacket, beige pants, brown snow boots, and a sky blue beanie. She is Native American with black hair and brown eyes.
A lot of time has elapsed since Jansen Secody vanished. Someone knows something. She deserves to be returned home.
Do you know where Jansen Secody is? Call the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office at 505-334-6107.
Judith Fern Garcia
Judith Fern Garcia vanished from Laguna, NM, on December 24, 1989. She was last seen leaving her family’s home. That was the last they saw her. Frustratingly few details are available in this case, too.
Garcia was wearing a denim jacket with faded trim on the front pockets, black short-sleeved shirt, tan pants, black-heeled boots. She has black hair and brown eyes and is Native American. The BIA is handling her case and can be contacted by texting 847411, calling 1-833-560-2065, or emailing [email protected].
Someone on Websleuths suggested her as a match for 688UFNM. This seems like a good possibility. Jane Doe was found near Four Corners Power Plant Road, in Fruitland, NM, near Farmington. She was Native American and matches Garcia’s height. A websleuth helped link Melissa Montoya to some remains found near Dulce recently which is being investigated, and another websleuth helped solve the San Juan County Does mystery, so they shouldn’t be dismissed.
Agnes Tybo:
https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/albuquerque-police-department-launches-cold-case-podcast
https://www.thedailybeast.com/jennifer-tybos-quest-to-solve-her-grandmas-40-year-old-motel-murder
Jansen Secody:
Judith Fern Garcia:
https://www.bia.gov/missing-murdered-cases/judith-fern-garcia