![]() ![]() Satellite imagery taken between 20 shows tire marks and patches of disturbed soils in the area where the remains were recovered. īetween 20, eleven women were buried by an unknown assailant in an arroyo bank on Albuquerque's West Mesa, in an undeveloped area within city limits. This small fragment of a human trafficking ring involves numerous population centers, including Las Vegas in Nevada, El Paso and Killeen in Texas, and Denver in Colorado. Police have also suspected the involvement of a sex trafficking ring operating through neighboring Texas that targets sex workers during events throughout the Southwest, Southern, and Western United States, especially regularly scheduled events, such as the New Mexico state fair in this case, to take advantage of reliably heavier traffic. Īn anonymous tip to authorities at APD and FBI linked the murders to a suspect from Central America. Initially believed to be the work of a serial killer, the involvement of a sex trafficking ring has been suspected in the killings. While it's unlikely that it was ever reported, one of the victims (Cinnamon Elks) had been warning other street workers about a "dirty cop" who'd been removing women's heads and burying them in West Mesa prior to her own disappearance. Several suspects have been named, but none were arrested or charged. But in the first six to eight months, it made our church stronger than it had ever been," he said.The West Mesa Murders or the 118th Street Homicides are the murders of 11 women-7 of whom had been reported missing years before, but all of whom were locally engaged in prostitution-whose remains were found buried in 2009 in the desert on the West Mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Floyd County District Attorney Leigh Patterson is seeking the death penalty against both.Despite the killing and its ensuing publicity, the congregation has stuck together, David Harper said."An event like this would shut the doors on an average church. Their father is still behind bars at Floyd County Jail, also without bail.Since her divorce was finalized last month, Paige Harper has retained the couple's home and has full custody of the children, according to court documents.Both Scott Harper and Michelle Reynolds face five counts of murder and various other charges in the death. She has been denied bail twice, and, according to her defense attorney, Jimmy Berry of Marietta, has not seen the three youngest since her arrest.The girls, now ages 13, 7, 5 and 2, are being cared for by their father's mother.Scott Harper's three daughters, 7, 6, and 4, are living with their mother, Paige Harper. How can we minister to them?"The four Reynolds girls are left without a father, and their mother has been in custody at Floyd County Jail for the past year. "The focus has shifted away from our church to these families. "We've not tried to make (Thad Reynolds' murder) the whole focus of our church," he said. "But for those of us who were there and who were close to the families, it's still in the back of our minds."David Harper said the strength to move on is largely rooted in a desire to focus on the present and future rather than the past. ![]() The church, meanwhile, is trying to care for the family members devastated by the killings _ and move on from the media spotlight the church received after the crime."It was like a laser beam on us for the first few months," Pastor David Harper told the Rome News-Tribune."Probably for the most part, things are back to normal," David Harper said. Harper was accused of ambushing Thad Reynolds and stabbing him 19 times police said Michelle Reynolds helped plot the crime.The accused couple are awaiting trial in Floyd County. Police said Michelle Sullins Reynolds and Richard Scott Harper conspired to kill Thad Reynolds in a deadly love triangle. The grieving congregation organized a memorial service for Reynolds and set up an education fund for his four daughters.Three days later, the deacon's wife and an assistant pastor were charged in the killing. But a year after a love triangle led to the death of a deacon and the jailing of two parishioners, the church is still healing.It was last July 5 when church deacon Thad John Glenn Reynolds was found stabbed to death at the Frito-Lay distribution center where he worked. The Reynolds and Harper families still sit in their regular seats at Hollywood Baptist Church. ![]()
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