Reading about people who have disappeared in New Mexico, I was disturbed at how so many seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving just a vehicle and some belongings behind. What happens to these people? Will they ever be found?
These creepy cases have left more questions than answers. Many surviving loved ones are left with broken hearts, wondering what happened until they die. They don’t even get remains back to bury. As the years trickle by, the odds of finding these people and learning what happened to them decrease more and more.
Here are a few cases where only a car was left behind.
David F. Chavez – March 10, 1980
Not many details are available in this case. David F. Chavez apparently was seen walking in the mountains near Chacon, NM (in the Mora Valley) on March 10, 1980, carrying a rifle. It’s not clear what he intended to do – hunt? Hike? Camp? Poach? He’s never been seen again. His truck was found near the scene where he had been last seen.
I’m pretty sure David Chavez just succumbed to the elements out there. The area is pretty remote and arid. But who saw him out there? Did they play a role in his disappearance? Was he alone, or with companions? Did he have any enemies? Was he suicidal? There are so few details that it is hard to build a picture of what may have transpired. Furthermore, the lack of details and lack of progress suggests that this case has fallen by the wayside, forgotten by most people.
Interestingly, another David Chavez vanished near Pecos in 2016. He has never been found and he is one of many hikers who have disappeared in that area. You will see several entries for people who vanished near Pecos and also Mora in this write-up.
David F. Chavez was only 22 when he vanished. He would be 65 now. He was Hispanic, with dark hair and dark eyes. He stood at 5’8” and weighed 160 pounds. The only photo available is this blurry scan.
Deborah Salazar – November 30, 1980
Deborah Salazar has been missing from MacIntosh, NM, since November 30, 1980. Besides an abandoned car and a buried bracelet, there have been no traces of her. She is presumed murdered and buried somewhere in the MacIntosh area.
When Deborah Salazar didn’t return home from spending Thanksgiving at her ex-husband Barney Salazar’s trailer in MacIntosh, her family became concerned. Her father, Ray Galbadon, and her current husband, Pete Sanchez, went by the trailer to look for her. She had told her sister Cheryl that she would spend Thanksgiving week at Barney Salazar’s with her two daughters, Barbara and Michelle, who lived there with their dad. She left her daughter Tina at Cheryl’s. She was due to come home to Albuquerque on the 30th. It wasn’t like her to not contact her family.
At the trailer, Barney said that Deborah had been there earlier that day and had washed some clothes for Tina, before taking off in her blue 1979 Datsun, never to be seen again. Just over a small hill about half a mile from the trailer, her father and husband found her car, abandoned. All of the doors were locked save for the rear passenger door. Two of her blouses and a pair of shoes were left in the car. The family soon reported her missing. Police visited Barney’s trailer, where they found all of Tina’s clothes, washed and folded. Her purse was also there and inside it were a pair of her glasses, broken.
The family hired Manuel Lopez, a private investigator, to lead the investigation. He was never able to find her remains, despite leading a search of the area around the abandoned car.
Lloyd Kelton was a retired Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputy. He was working on his roof on November 30 when he noticed two guys digging in a nearby field. He didn’t think much of it. After all, there is a lot of agriculture in the area and he also assumed the men were putting in a septic. But when he heard about the missing Deborah, he tipped off cops to search the area. Cops dug up a plastic toy car, a sun tan lotion bottle, a cigarette lighter, and a silver bracelet. Deborah’s sister, Linda, turned the bracelet over in her hands and said it looked like one of hers that Deborah had borrowed. This was the first major clue as to what had happened to the woman.
Deborah Salazar was 5’3″ and with black hair and brown eyes. I was not able to find a viable picture of her, just this grainy newspaper photo.
Ann Linda Riffin – September 13, 1982
Ann Linda Riffin’s story reminds me a bit of both Jennifer Pentilla and Melissa Crabtree. She was a 33-year-old woman with the heart of a young girl, a free spirit, and a thirst for adventure, who had recently moved to New Mexico to try something new. She was last seen in Holman on September 13, 1983, en route to Colorado for a family visit. The only trace left of her since was her car, found abandoned on September 21 in a ditch off Highway 3, between Mora and Tres Ritos. A rancher had noticed it there for a week and finally called it in. It was undamaged and locked, with a quarter tank of gas and no mechanical troubles. Inside, she had left all her belongings, including clothes, painting supplies, and about $270 in cash and check dividends. Her purse was missing, however. Police ran the plates and traced it to Ann Riffin’s father, the registered owner, which is how her family learned she had disappeared.
A woman at the nearby Tres Ritos Lodge recalled a young woman asking for change for a phone on September 13th. But she was not totally sure the young woman matched Ann Riffin’s description. There has been absolutely no trace of her since and no confirmed sightings since. Despite her face being broadcasted on the news in Albuquerque and missing posters being distributed all over the northern part of the state, no substantial tips or sightings have come in. One body was ruled out as being hers based on dental records. A possible sighting of her working as a nurse in Bangladesh was also ruled out.
Ann Riffin was raised by a well-to-do Jewish family in Montclair, New Jersey. Her family was always clear about how disappointed they were in her compared to her sister, Jane. Ann dabbled in various careers and moved to many places, including England and Israel. She loved drawing and painting and was very introverted. At some point in her twenties, she converted to Christianity, and her parents accepted it because she seemed happier. Often, she tended to fall into spells of depression and despondency. Her parents said she had a “rudderless” existence. She sometimes returned to live with them and she lived with her sister for a spell; none of these stays with family seemed to be very happy times for her.
In 1982, she moved to New Mexico on a whim and settled in Ruidoso, working at a restaurant despite her college education and sharing a cabin with a roommate. In September, she took off to Colorado Springs to visit relatives. This was the fateful trip that resulted in her disappearance. Shortly before leaving to Colorado Springs, she had told her mother she was unhappy in New Mexico, and her mother told her to stick it out. Her roommate noted that she had packed everything she owned, as if she planned to leave for good. The place where her car was found was not on a logical way to Colorado Springs and no one knows what she doing near Halmon.
Riffin’s father thinks she committed suicide. Many people think that Ann Riffin left of her own volition, maybe to join a cult. I certainly hope that she is alive somewhere all these years later, but I honestly think Ann Riffin left her car to go off into the woods and paint a beautiful scene, as the area is very pretty and Ann really loved to paint the New Mexico landscapes. Then she got lost and died in the wilderness of the elements. There is also the possibility she met with foul play. I don’t know why her car was where it was, but maybe she was the woman who walked to Tres Ritos for help. Someone offered her help and then caused her grievous harm.
Ann Linda Riffin was 33 when she vanished. She was 125 pounds and about 5’3”. She had black hair.
Gordon Vessels – March 17, 1993
Gordon Vessels lived in Bernalillo with his girlfriend. On March 17, 1993, he told friends he was going fishing in Manzano State Park. He did not tell his girlfriend this, as they had recently been fighting about some undisclosed matter and he had left the house days before his fishing trip. He took off to the state park and was last seen driving through Manzano accompanied by a local man (local to Manzano or Bernalillo is unclear). He was never seen again and it’s not clear if the man accompanying him was ever questioned.
Vessels’ truck was found abandoned 3 days after he was last seen. It was in a wooded area off a forest road, I’m assuming in the Manzanos but I don’t know for sure. Forest Service officials found it and had it towed because they didn’t know it belonged to a missing person. The truck had his wallet, keys, sleeping bag, and sleeping bag inside of it.
Vessels had been with his girlfriend for eight years. He was a musician and the lead vocalist of the Blues Kings. He also played guitar in other bands. Newspapers list him as entertainment at various venues around Albuquerque since 1989. He apparently had once toured Europe with Bo Diddly.
I think there are a few suspicious circumstances here. If Vessels went out to the fishing pond with the “local man,” but then his truck was abandoned out there, how did the local man get back to Manzano? Did he leave Vessels out there alive and hitch a ride with someone else? Or did he play a hand in his disappearance? If he was culpable, then why did he kill Vessels – especially since he didn’t rob him? Vessels’ wallet was left in the truck, though it’s not clear if it still had cash in it or not. Usually, when guys go fishing together, they spend hours together and then leave together, so it just seems weird this man went out there with Vessels and then didn’t come back with him. Maybe he didn’t even go fishing with Vessels, Vessels was just giving him a ride.
What were Vessels’ ties to the Manzano area? Did he have friends and associates there? Or was he just there fishing? How was he acquainted with the local man?
Finally, what about the girlfriend? They had been fighting, but what about? Did she find out he was out there and track him down or have someone track him down? Did that culminate in his death?
Could he have met his end in the wilderness? Certainly a possibility. The Manzanos are remote. A perfect place to hide a body. BUt also a perfect place to get lost, succumb to the elements, and then never get found.
Gordon Vessels was a big man at six foot and 175 pounds. He had brown hair, and a full brown beard at the time of his disappearance. He wore glasses. His eye color is “unknown.” He was only 39 at the time.
Mario Fernando Sanchez – June 7, 1995
Mario Sanchez was deeply fascinated by all things Native American, so he traveled to New Mexico and Arizona, with plans of visiting Hopi reservation. On March 7, 1995, he was arrested in Albuquerque for disturbing the peace. A family friend in Albuquerque, Brandon Felix, saw him shortly thereafter. He has never been seen again. His rented red Mazda Protege was found, however, abandoned in Gallup with an empty gas tank and locked doors. It had Arizona plates. His parents reported him missing.
For some reason, some agencies list him as missing in Aurora, CO, and Aurora police have his case. Why when he was last seen in Albuquerque and his car was in Gallup? It seems hard for a police department that far away to be able to do proper investigative work in New Mexico.
The Charley Project made sure to mention that Sanchez did drugs and had a history of mental illness and suicidal ideation. I suppose this could explain his disappearance. Especially given his disturbance call in Albuquerque, he may have gotten into something bad or had a psychotic break and forgot who he was. He could be alive still, or alive for a long time after he went missing, homeless and drifting. But I think foul play also seems possible in this case. A lot of people go missing in the Four Corners/Navajo Nation area and are never, ever found. I don’t know what happens up there, but it’s not good. Usually Native Americans are targeted; it could be that Sanchez looked Native American and thus attracted the attention of whomever likes to target them. It is not stated if he was robbed or what was left in his Mazda Protege.
Mario Sanchez was 21. He had brown hair and brown eyes and was 5’8” and 145 pounds. Sometimes he used the alias “Emanuel Sanchez.” He was Hispanic.
Debra Marie Horgan – April 29, 1997
Debra Marie Horgan vanished on April 29, 1997, leaving only her car behind. The circumstances of her disappearance and the state of her car strongly suggest foul play. Horgan had just gotten a job as a housekeeper at the Budget 8 Motel in Albuquerque. She was scheduled to start work on April 29, but never showed up. It is not stated who reported her missing.
It wasn’t until June 21, nearly two months later, that her white Ford Thunderbird was found abandoned on Fortuna Road and Coors Boulevard W in Albuquerque. The hood was dented and popped open, suggesting it had been involved in a wreck. Horgan’s belongings were inside, including bags, clothes, and shoes. Broken glass was scattered inside the car, though it is not stated if the glass came from her car windows or an unknown source. There was no blood, and no sign of Horgan.
Horgan’s boyfriend at the time was violent. A few weeks prior to her disappearance, he had put her in the hospital with a violent beating and rape. Her mother knew about this and reported it to police. Clearly he has never been charged. Her body has never been found, but I strongly suspect she died the day she disappeared. The car may have been driven for a while by her killer before he wrecked it and decided to abandon it.
She left behind two children and an estranged husband. I assume her children must have been with her husband or other family. Her husband died just a few months later, in September of 1997. It is not clear what their relationship was like or if he was in Albuquerque when she vanished. Was he mad about her new boyfriend? If she was dating an abusive man at the time she vanished, it could be her husband had been abusive, too, though I don’t know this for a fact.
Horgan had lucious brown hair, brown eyes, and a big smile. She was 39 when she vanished. She was about 110 to 120 pound and 5’3”-5’6”. Her Charley Project report states she has an unspecified scar on her right leg and a mole on her left cheek. Her maiden name was King. Prior to New Mexico, she had lived in Jackson, Mississippi, Tulepo, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, suggesting she had a Southern accent.
Robert Amos Browning – May 15, 1997
Robert Amos Browning was last seen at his brother Myles Browning’s home in Albuquerque on May 14, 1997. On May 15, Browning’s 1984 Nissan truck was located near Monastery Lake, about 6 to 8 miles from where Emma Tresp and Melvin Nadel both disappeared (covered in this post as well). The windows were down, the doors were unlocked, and it had half a tank of gas. All his possessions were inside the truck, including his passport, his social security card, his wallet with a small amount of cash, and some food, clothes, sleeping bag, and fishing gear. One thing that was missing was the ignition key. A locksmith got the truck started with no issues.
It appeared he had been living out of the truck. He was known to camp in this spot near the lake. There was no trace of Browning in the area, even after the area was scoured on May 18. He has never been seen or heard from since.
Browning was 19 with family in both New Mexico and Durango, Colorado. At the time, he was a homeless drifter, after a brief stint as a carpenter and also brief tries at New Mexico Highlands University and UNM. He aspired to join the Navy and even had an appointment for a placement test on May 15, to which he never showed up.
On the 14th, Browning visited his mom, Sande Grano of Las Vegas NM, who gave him $500 in cash. He was supposed to pay his brother back some money he owed him with the cash. But he informed his brother that he had lost the cash in the casino. This could be potential motive for his brother to do something to him.
Brownings’ family said that he was quiet, discreet, and fantasized about running off to Alaska. His truck was found somewhat near I25 and Amtrak, suggesting he could have abandoned it and run off. But wouldn’t he have taken his cash, social security card, and passport to disappear intentionally?
He was 5’11” and 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. I couldn’t find a photo of him. His case is not on the Charley Project or NamUs.
Travis John Killen – November 23, 1997
Travis John Killen left his home in Flora Vista on November 23, 1997. No one ever saw or heard from him again. It’s like he drove off into never never land. The only thing he left behind was his car – a 1983 gray Ford Escort which was found in a dry gulch off Navajo 36, near the Chaco River. It was found just a day after he vanished. This area is about 35 miles from Flora Vista.
Killen was white, 148 pounds, and 5’11”. He had piercing scars in both of his earlobes and tattoos on his left shoulder and right hand. He had light brown hair and brown eyes. He was only 18. This year he would have turned 44.
Not many details are available about this case. So it is hard to say who Travis was or what lifestyle he led. Those details might give some clue as to what happened to him. What were his last phone calls? Did he tell anyone where he was going? Who saw him last? Does he have DNA on file to match him to an unidentified body?
Some people on Websleuths point out that he vanished around the same time Robert Fry was actively killing people in the region. In fact, his case is kind of like Pernell Lloyd Tewangoitewa who vanished in 1998 from Bloomfield and his car was later found burned in the Chokecherry Canyon area by Farmington. Most people think Pernell Lloyd Tewangoitewa was a victim of Robert Fry. However, Killen’s car was not burned. I’m not sure that Fry is the most likely candidate – he seemed to exclusively target Native Americans and Travis was white. Also, Fry tended to leave bodies where they could be found. But I think that angle should at least be looked into.
Killen’s case is one of those really frustrating ones where so few details exist, it appears no one takes his case very seriously. I doubt it will ever be solved at this point unless someone really advocates for Killen.
Charles Hawkins – March 19, 1998
Charles Hawkins vanished from Las Cruces on March 19, 1998. He was seen driving his truck that day. On April 19 the same year, someone found his truck in an arroyo near Las Cruces. The truck was locked with no Charlie inside. A search of the nearby area did not locate Charlie. He’s never been heard from since and he was legally declared dead in 2003.
Charlie looks like a happy fellow at first glance. But he was actually very depressed and had attempted suicide three times prior to his disappearance. It is heavily implied that he committed suicide and his body has never been found. While that is quite possible, I think focusing on the suicide theory prevents investigators from exploring other avenues. Since there is no proof he didn’t get lost in the wilderness or met with foul play, we can’t definitively assume he killed himself.
Charlie was an agricultural manager for 29 years at the Mayfield Farm, which became the NMSU Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center. People remember him for his “gentle management style” and effective leadership. He was a native of the Mesilla Valley (the valley containing Las Cruces, Mesilla, Dona Ana, and other small towns). He left behind a wife who is the one who disclosed his suicidal tendencies. It is not clear if he ever got psychiatric help or if his wife was ever investigated.
One notable thing about Charlie was that he had a massive eight-inch surgical scar on his left leg where tissue and muscle had been surgically removed. He had blue eyes and gray hair and was 63 at the time of his disappearance. He would be 85 now. He spoke Spanish and English fluently. He was 5’6” to 5’8” and about 180 pounds.
Jon Evans Otteson – September 5, 1999
Jon Evans Otteson lived in Las Cruces. On September 5, 1999, he told his family he wanted to go hike the Black Range. The Black Range is a mountain range near Silver City in the Gila Wilderness, a couple hours from Las Cruces. It is a very rugged wilderness area with limited access and even more limited resources. There’s a reason it used to be called Sierra Diablo (Devil Mountains).
Whatever happened that day, Otteson vanished on that hike. Years have passed and he has never been found. His truck was found abandoned on a nearby well-traveled road, indicating he did arrive.
I think the most likely scenario is that Otteson succumbed to the elements. While he appears like a seasoned hiker, even experienced hikers befall accidents. All it takes is a heart attack, snakebite, or broken bone to render someone incapacitated. Then wild animals may have gotten to him and scattered his remains so far and wide that they have been overlooked. Furthermore, it is possible that he fell into a rock crevice or mine shaft, both of which are common in those mountains. A lot of gold mining took place in the Black Range in the 1800s. It is possible he will never, ever be found. However, I hope at least a bone will be found for his family’s sake.
I can’t find much about who he was as a person. It appears he lived in La Mesa (near Las Cruces) his whole life. He went to the prestigious Gadsden schools, where his mother Frances Otteson was a teacher, and he was inducted into the National Honor Society in 1954. At least some of his family attended St. James Episcopal Church, so it seems possible he attended that church too. He was preceded in death by his father, Tage Otteson, and his mother Frances died in 2008 without any answers about their son’s whereabouts. He also left behind two brothers and a sister.
Otteson was 61 and would be 85 now. He wore a beard and glasses. His hair was brown with some gray and his eyes were blue. He stood at five foot and weighed about 150-160 pounds.
Melvin Nadel – September 9, 2009
On September 9, 2009, Melvin Nadel went bowhunting for elk with two buddies on Elk Mountain near Pecos, NM. The men set up camp and prepared for hunting. Nadel had a knee injury at the time and wrapped it; it did not appear to be the kind of injury that would prevent his progress in traversing the trails of the woods.
In the past, Nadel had gotten lost in the woods. The experience traumatized him enough that he was always prepared and he tended not to venture very far from safe spots or friends while hunting. His preferred method of hunting was from a blind, where he would stay in one spot, concealed, until the elk passed him and then he would shoot. So that’s why it seemed especially odd on that day when he told his friends he was heading about 150 feet up a trail to hunt by himself. He left at 4:30 pm and stated he would be back by nightfall. Instead, he was never seen again.
His friends searched for him high and low. Then they reported him missing. Dogs tracked his scent about 50 yards up the trail he had used, then lost it. There appears to be no trace of him. His remains have never been found.
Nadel was from Brooklyn but had moved to Santa Fe with his wife, Edna, and daughter, Kristen, whom they homeschooled. Nadel had owned a jewelry store in Brooklyn but he switched to fitness when he moved to Santa Fe, where he opened a Pilates gym. By 61, he was very fit, and in great health. He also held a black belt in tae kwon doe. A small man, he was nevertheless savvy and capable of taking care of himself in the wilderness. When he disappeared, he was armed with a bow and zebra-striped arrows, a large Bowy knife, and a .44 special revolver. It is not said if he carried enough water with him or not.
He left behind his 2001 Jeep Cherokee with many of his things in it. One of the items found in that Jeep was his GPS unit, which he always made a point of carrying with him. He relied on it to avoid getting lost like before.
Police cannot find any evidence of foul play. While I definitely think foul play has to be considered, I also think it is very possible he just got lost in the woods. The woods can be disorienting. He may also have gotten hurt and then got attacked by a wild animal like a mountain lion, while he was too injured or unconscious to shoot.
Melvin Nadel’s disappearance is often mentioned in National Parks disappearance sites and blogs. If you’re not aware of this subgenre of true crime, then watch Missing 411: The Hunted and Vanished with David Paulides. Nadel is considered to be one of the many seasoned hikers and hunters who have mysteriously vanished in national parks, leaving behind absolutely zero traces and zero clues as to what happened to them. The one common denominator in these baffling cases is that there are often lengthy histories of Big Foot sightings, UFO sightings, strange occurrences, and unexplained lights and noises reported by other campers and hikers in the areas where these people vanish. The area of the Santa Fe National Forest near Pecos happens to be one of those sites where people see lots of weird lights. A fair amount of people have gone missing in this area, too.
Some people, like Allen Pacheco, suspect an active energy vortex or portal exists in the Pecos area which swallowed Nadel whole, sucking him to another dimension. Other people believe aliens or Sasquatch are responsible. A large number of people believe Sasquatch exists in the Pecos area woods, and there are many UFO sightings in this area as well.
I don’t necessarily believe that the people who disappear in parks are victims of aliens, Big Foot, or energy vortices. I think the wilderness is a vast and wild place where countless scenarios are possible. Finding a body in such vast areas can be akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Bodies often go missing for long periods of time – just like with Stanley Vigil. People also disappear from this area and are never found, like David C. Chavez in 2016 or Emma Tresp in 2011 (covered below). Something about the terrain here and the wide distances makes finding bodies difficult, or in some cases, impossible.
And yet, it does seem odd that he followed the path he told his buddies he would follow about 50 yards and then his scent trail just…ended. Wouldn’t his trail have continued into the woods on either side of the path if he had ventured off trail? Or down the trail further if he had stuck to the area? I don’t know how long it took for dogs to search for him. Sometimes scent trails can be lost due to weather and other conditions. But usually, in missing hiker/hunter searches, Search and Rescue get their boots on the ground pretty fast and they often bring tracker dogs as soon as possible. I doubt enough time elapsed for the trail to vanish completely. Maybe some other environmental condition prevented the trail from being picked up?
Furthermore, Allen Pacheco points out this area is pretty well-traveled and Nadel should have been able to see the Elk Mountain Tower and hike toward it until he came across a trail or road. Called the “Pecos Triangle,” there are tons of hiking, biking, and logging roads and trails near where he vanished. Hunters are thick in the area during the season. Surely someone would have seen him that day, or found his remains in the past decade and a half? The wilderness of New Mexico is pretty intimidating and vast. But in this particular area, it is not as wild as, say, the Gila. But as I pointed out above, other cases have occurred where hunters just vanished without a trace, and some of them are found many months later, often in areas that have already been searched.
Could Nadel have committed suicide? He didn’t seem suicidal. But sometimes people mask their mental health struggles quite well. His behavior that day was unusual for him – leaving behind his GPS unit, going away from the campsite to hunt instead of using a blind, not sticking to the trail and near the campsite. Maybe he went off into the wilderness to die and make it look like an accident so that his family would be less hurt. You’d think his body would have been found already, but maybe he found somewhere VERY remote to kill himself or he did it near a stream that carried him away.
Could he have been murdered? Maybe by his companions, or maybe by another hunter in the woods, maybe someone who shot him accidentally and then tried to cover it up? You would think the dogs would have found blood, but again, the wilderness can make body recovery and evidence recovery quite tricky. His friends were the last people to see him so they could have hidden his body and cleaned up evidence, had they wanted to. But they haven’t been named suspects.
This case is definitely a weird one. After all these years, the odds of it being solved are somewhat slim. But I know his wife and daughter want to know what happened to him. I hope they learn the truth one day.
Nadel had black hair and brown eyes. He 5’2”, 135 pounds, but in good shape. He was 61 when he disappeared.
Emma Frances Tresp – August 31, 1998
Emma Tresp was from Arkansas. In August 1998, she left her daughter’s home in Stillwater, OK, and traveled to Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey in Pecos, New Mexico, near Santa Fe. The tranquil and forested town is a perfect site for the abbey, which is a clean adobe complex surrounded by a green that is not so common in arid New Mexico. Tresp was drawn to that tranquility and the gentle life of a nun that awaited her there.
Unfortunately, something went terribly wrong, because Tresp never checked into the monastery. A search found her white Honda Civic on Forest Road 63A, in the woods near Pecos. One tire was lodged on a rock and the oil pan was cracked. The doors were locked and her things were inside. Her footsteps were found going around the vehicle, inspecting it probably, yet they could not be found heading away from the vehicle. Despite days of searching, her body was never found.
She was last seen fueling up in Santa Rosa on I40 at 3:00 pm that day. There have been no other leads. Investigators don’t suspect foul play. Rather, they think Tresp got stuck on the rough road and got out to walk for help, only to get lost in the woods. People who are not from New Mexico can easily get lost in the jagged and rough landscape. They also often don’t prepare adequately for how dry it is, even in the forested areas, and they get dehydrated rather quickly. Dehydration may have gotten the better of her. Then, while in her weakened state, she may have been overtaken by a wild animal.
However, this case still seems strange. Tresp knew the route to the abbey and it is unclear why she ventured onto this forest road ten miles from Route 63, where she should have been going. Was she just exploring? Was she meeting someone? She was 71 when she vanished, so was she developing dementia and turned down the wrong road out of confusion?
Her case is another one touched on by paranormal investigator Allen Pacheco, who has a theory that there is something weird about the Pecos Triangle area. He describes how his ghosthunting equipment and cameras went wonky and shut down and even his Jeep refused to start while investigating the area.
Today, Tresp would be 97. There is now a memorial located in the woods near where her car was found. Her children came to sprinkle holy water on it and feel close to the mother in August 2023. While they accept that she is dead, they at least want to know the circumstances. I can’t imagine not knowing for a quarter of a century. Wondering if she was dead or alive, if someone hurt her, if she suffered. Waiting to bring her home for a proper burial.
Carmen Marta Gonzalez – December 31, 2000
Carmen Marta Gonzalez is another person who vanished in the Santa Fe area, leaving only her vehicle behind. Her case is odd because there are many unknowns involved.
Carmen was from Puerto Rico but somehow she ended up on the Zuni reservation in New Mexico, working as a nurse. She decided to rent a silver 2001 Ford Windstar van and take a trip to Santa Fe on December 31, where she checked in for one night at the Day’s Inn on 2900 Cerrillos Rd. She never checked out. Staff entered her room and found most of her items left there as if she had intended to return.
She also never returned the van, which was due back on December 30. The rental agency reported it stolen.
Later that winter, a cross country skier found her rented van in a canyon in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, just off Las Vegas Highway. It was locked and there was no sign of Carmen inside. Tracker dogs were brought to the area but didn’t find her scent around the van. There were also no tracks in the snow, which had fallen some days before.
It appears most likely that Carmen Gonzalez got disoriented in the snow and eventually succumbed to hypothermia. The vast wilderness and the many wrinkles in the land of New Mexico makes body recovery incredibly hard. But what if something more nefarious happened to Carmen Gonzalez? Why was her van in that canyon – did she drive out there herself or did someone abandon the van there? Why did she drive out there if she went willingly?
What was she doing in Santa Fe in the first place? Investigators surmise she may have planned to move to the area, but no one seems to know for sure. She was not known to have any contacts in the area. This may not be so mysterious. Santa Fe and the surrounding mountains are beautiful, and she may have just wanted to explore. She may have gone into the mountains to look at the snow and hike, and she got lost. But there is no proof that something bad didn’t happen to her.
Twenty-three years later, there is still no word, no body, and no activity on her social security number or bank cards. She was 37, 5’7”, 145 pounds, and she had black wavy hair and brown eyes.
David Ristovski – March 9, 2011
David Ristovski was traveling to New Mexico along I-10 from California. His white GMC Safair ran out of gas and he left on the side of a back road near Mile Marker 384 in Arizona. At some point on the 9th, he called his fiance for some money for gas. No one has heard from him since. HIs car was found where he had left it.
On March 11, someone called in a sighting of Ristovski by the railroad tracks near Lordsburg. Police visited the area and found no Ristovski, but they did locate his wallet with his ID in it, his water bottle, and his cell phone. These items were near Mile Marker 3 on I10 on the New Mexico side, a whopping eight miles from his vehicle.
Oddly, his footprints led investigators sixteen miles from his vehicle. They ended somewhere near Steins Pass outside of Lordsburg. Steins Pass is a former stagecoach route that I10 now passes through. Sixteen miles is an incredible distance to walk without your water bottle. Especially in the windy, dry March weather which is usually cold in that area at that time of year. I think that leaves little mystery as to what happened to Ristovski. He either hitched a ride with someone and is homeless somewhere with no recollection of his life, or he died out there in the vast, gray plains of Hidalgo County.
Ristovski was a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic who had left home before for short periods. He needed to be on medication for his safety. He was originally from Bosnia. He left behind an eleven-month-old infant son and a fiance and his parents in LA. It is unclear why he was in New Mexico in the first place.
He was 5’9” with a shaved head and a scar by his right eye. He weighed about 200 pounds. He was 33.
Jack R. Hemby – November 15, 2011
Jack R. Hemby was last seen exiting his girlfriend’s house in Ruidoso Downs on November 15, 2011. Another source says he received some calls from friends on November 9, but then he stopped using his phone around 3:00 pm that day. It is not clear which day he actually disappeared. What is clear is that he has never been seen or heard from again.
About a month later, his tan 1981 VW rabbit was found abandoned in the parking lot of the Inn of the Mountain Gods. The Inn of the Mountain Gods is a big casino and resort, located on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, just on the outskirts of Ruidoso. It is a pretty and popular place, positively bristling with security cameras and guards, as well as guests and staff. It is not a likely place to disappear. I’m curious how well investigators looked into his disappearance and what they found on security footage. Was his car abandoned there the whole month? Or did someone drive it there and abandon it right when it was found?
Hemby was 76 with gray hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a Western style shirt and tan moccasins at the time of his disappearance. He was about 5’11” and 190-200 pounds.
Edgar L. Castro – June 16, 2016
Edgar L. Castro lived with his parents in Farmington. He was last seen driving away from their house in his truck with his bicycle loaded on the back on June 16, 2016. He was never seen again, but his car was found stuck in sand on the side of the road near Tuba City, AZ. The bike was missing from the back. Months passed and his bike was finally located floating in water near Tuba City.
It seems possible he got stuck and then unloaded his bike to go get a tow. Cell service is spotty around Tuba City and was probably worse back then. Then something bad befell him. Was he a victim of foul play and then his bike was hurled into the water? Or did he somehow fall into the river or meet some other natural accident?
Why was he in Tuba City in the first place? That is 199 miles, or about 3 and a half hours, from his parents’ place. Did he tell his parents he was going to Arizona? There are infuriatingly few details available publicly on his case. It appears to be another case that police are not taking seriously, and I’m sure jurisdictional disputes between New Mexico and Arizona law enforcement are inhibiting hte investigation as well.
Castro was half Hispanic, half Native American, with black hair and brown eyes. He usually wore a mustache. He was 5’8 – 5’9, and about 155 – 165 pounds. He was 25 when he disappeared.
Lewis G. Stouffer – June 13, 2017
Lewis G. Stouffer was last seen when he dropped off his girlfriend, Rose Parker, at her job in Bloomfield. He and Rose Parker had been together for years and were planning a move to Albuquerque soon. Parker worked from 5 pm to 5 am that night, and Stouffer was supposed to pick her up that morning. He never arrived. No one has seen or heard from him since.
Suspiciously, his red Hyundai Elantra was found abandoned in a remote oil field service road near Navajo Dam on July 5. An oil field worker called the abandoned car into San Juan County sheriffs. That area is about 26 miles from Bloomfield and there is nothing there – no reason to go there unless you are trying not to be found. How did his car end up there? And why was there no trace of Stouffer? The sheriff felt the car had only been there a short while, maybe a few days.
On July 11, tracker dogs were brought in. They sniffed the area around the abandoned car for hours but didn’t find any trace of Stouffer. Search and rescue teams visited the area a few times and cadaver dogs were also brought in. Nothing.
Initially thought to be a suicide, police say there is no evidence of foul play. There is also no history of mental illness or drug abuse, Stouffer was not a big outdoors hiker, and he wasn’t one to disappear for long periods of time. Stouffer’s family does not believe he would just disappear without contacting them; he usually talked to his brothers a few times a week on the phone. I think those facts and the vehicle abandoned in that remote location weeks after he vanished is all evidence of foul play.
Police identified Brennan Johnson as a man seen with Stouffer the day he disappeared. I couldn’t find much about him. It is unclear what his relationship with Stouffer was, or when they were last seen together. I imagine he would be a person of interest.
Soon after he disappeared, two of his brothers, Shayne and Edmund Sinnot, came to search for him. One of them flew down from Buffalo, NY, and the other from Durham, NC. Together, they plastered an astonishing 850 missing posters all over New Mexico. Later, his brother Nick traveled around Northeastern New Mexico, searching for him and distributing even more flyers. Shayne Sinnot told the paper that they just want Stouffer to know they love him and care about him and want to find him.
He has eleven siblings and hailed from Buffalo. He loved hockey and he loved New Mexico and the landscapes. He also loved his girlfriend and had been living with her for many years. For money, he liked to buy and sell goods at the local flea market. It looks like he did odd jobs, as there are articles about him helping clean out My Big Fat Greek restaurant in 2014.
Stouffer was 50 at the time he disappeared. He stood at 5’10” and was about 168 pounds. He had brown hair and blue eyes. People called him “Jim.”
Jorge Alberto Sanchez – June 21, 2018
Originally from El Paso, Jorge Sanchez went to Hobbs for a few days for a roofing job with an El Paso company. He had a new baby and two other kids and he needed to make his little family money. He confirmed he arrived in Hobbs and sent his family photos of the town. Then, two days into the contract, he stopped showing up to work and contacting his family. He was last seen leaving work on June 20, 2018. He never came to pick up his paycheck.
On June 21, a family member texted him and it was marked as seen but he never replied. That wasn’t like him.
At 7:30 am on June 22, a truck driver saw a man standing on the shoulder of Highway 190 between Iraan and Ozona, TX, frantically signaling for help. Iraan is 172 miles from Hobbs and Ozona is 220 miles away from Hobbs. The trucker didn’t stop but he did call the sheriff. When the sheriff came out two hours later, they found nobody there. However, they did find his vehicle in that location. It was a dark gray Ford Fiesta with Texas plates. The doors were unlocked and Sanchez had left his phone, wallet, and license. The reason it was on the side of the road is because it had run out of gas.
Sanchez is not one to just disappear. He loved his family and was attached to his three kids, aged three months to four years. He often said he didn’t want them to grow up without a dad the way he had. He had never left El Paso before. His family says he was a good kid who didn’t drink or who wasn’t involved in gangs.
What the hell was he doing so far away from Hobbs, in a place he had no known ties to? Where did he go after the trucker passed him? Did someone nefarious stop and help him, or did he start walking? Was that even him flagging for help, or did someone steal his car and then abandon it when it ran out of gas? His family initially thought that he may be homeless and trying to earn the money to come home. Five years later, that is unlikely, and his family now suspects foul play. Police think he left of his own volition. I think if he wanted to leave of his own volition, he would have at least stuck around Hobbs long enough to collect a decent check to live off of, and he would have ensured he had gas money. He also would have taken his wallet at the very least. It is so sad his kids don’t get to grow up with their father. This case is recent enough that I suppose he could still be found, but each passing day dims that chance.
Sanchez had lots of tattoos on his arms and chest, including a lion’s face with octopus tentacles on his left arm, a woman covering her face on his upper left arm, a dragon with a flower on his chest, black and gray skulls on his upper right arm, Chinese characters on his right lower arm, the word “KING” across his back, and “Sin Amor” on the back of his neck. He had black hair and brown eyes and a goatee. He was 5’11”, 250 pounds, and 28 years old.