Cindy was 8.5 months pregnant when she arrived at a prenatal appointment in Albuquerque on July 13, 1987. Though the heat of July in New Mexico made her miserable, she was thrilled to be having a girl soon. She had no idea that she was about to give birth that day – in the most nightmarish way possible.
Sam Ray was held up at work on Kirtland Airforce Base, so he was about ten minutes late meeting his wife. When he arrived, her car was in the parking lot, but there was no sign of her. He looked for her everywhere and even called her manager from her door-to-door sales position. No one had seen her.
That night, as he tucked his 2-year-old son Luke into bed, he prayed that Cindy was OK. Or if she had died, he prayed that it had been quick and she had not suffered. He knew in his heart that something terrible had happened.
The following day, Sam Ray learned that a woman had arrived at the hospital with a baby that was not hers. It all clicked. As a military police officer, Ray was good at seeing how the dots connected. The first thing he asked the police was to let him see his newborn daughter.
Darci Kayleen Pierce was 20 when she decided she just really, really wanted a baby. The problem was that she was not pregnant. She had gone through two miscarriages and struggled to conceive. At the age of 19, she had convinced a man named Ray to marry her by telling him she was pregnant with his child. She even wore larger clothes and stuffed her shirts to maintain the appearance of pregnancy. Her family threw her a baby shower.
But after 14 months with no baby, her family started to ask questions. Pierce decided then that she had to take drastic and evil action. She told her husband that she was being induced on July 23, 1987, and then she left her home that morning, determined to get a real life baby.
Pierce lay in wait at an OB GYN clinic in Albuquerque in her Volkswagen Beetle. Around 2:30 pm, she saw Cindy Ray arriving for her appointment. Somehow, she struck up a conversation with Cindy Ray and lured her into her car. That’s when she kidnapped her, taking her to the Manzanos. She strangled Ray into unconsciousness under a tree. Using a set of car keys, she carved Amelia Ray out of Cindy’s rotund belly. Amazingly, Amelia survived the traumatic premature birth. She is a medical miracle. But Cindy Ray was not so lucky. Blood loss and strangulation combined led to her demise.
Initially, Pierce insisted that the infant girl she brought to the hospital was hers. But staff determined via a pelvic exam that Pierce was not postpartum. She was arrested and charged with the death of Cindy Ray. It took hours of questioning for her to crack and lead cops to the sight of Cindy Ray’s body. Amelia Ray was reunited with her father.
Darci Pierce was evaluated by psychiatrist Susan Cave, among others. She claimed that she was possessed by the devil and that if that spirit entered the interrogation room, everyone would be in danger. She was found to be profoundly mentally ill, but the jury did not buy her insanity plea. She was sentenced to state prison on first degree murder and child abuse charges. She is serving a life sentence, which in New Mexico, is only 30 years.
Sam Ray went through hell. Not only did he have to grieve his wife’s horrific death, but he also had to quickly adjust to single parenting. Luke associated the arrival of his new sister with the disappearance of his mother, so he resented little Amelia. A child psychologist helped him adjust.
Sam Ray’s worst nightmare was Darci Pierce getting out of prison due to the 2019 House Bill 564 that required the parole board to review life sentences and to describe why some prisoners are not released after 30 years, which is the life sentence in New Mexico. This meant that Pierce’s case could have been reviewed and she could have been released. Ultimately, Governor Lujan-Grisham vetoed the bill. As of today, Darci Pierce is still at the Western New Mexico Corrections facility in Grants, NM. She is now 55. In 2027, she will have served 40 years, making it entirely possible that she could be released since her 30 years are up, should she ever apply for parole. I hope that doesn’t happen. We can’t trust someone like that on our streets.
Nevertheless, Sam Ray has been resilient. He has moved on and raised his children. He remarried just 2 years after his wife’s brutal murder. He also graduated from the Brigham Young University, where he majored in industrial education. Ray says that he likes to think that Cindy would be proud of her kids and proud of what he has accomplished with them. Still, he grieves the life he wanted to share with Cindy, which was cruelly wrenched away from him.
The Rays were originally from Payson, AZ. Sam was based at the Kirtland Airforce Base, where he was a military police officer. Cindy sold Tupperware door to door. They were faithful Mormons. Cindy was shy, sweet, and humble, and she was very excited to have a girl. She had picked out the name Amelia long before she conceived her daughter, and she planned to call her “Millie.” She was only 23 when Darci Pierce stole her life and her baby.
Amelia Ray is all grown up now. Though her father ensured she is successful, her birthday is still a day of sadness – it is the day her mother died. Her mother is buried in Payson and her headstone is inscribed “Our Mommy.” She is dearly missed by many.
https://www.koat.com/article/home-equity-renovating-better-than-moving-17798674/43944754