Three more bodies unearthed on West Side

LIVING OUT ON ALBUQUERQUE'S WEST MESA ARE FEARING MORE BODIES WILL BE FOUND NEAR THEIR HOMES. ...  More »

LIVING OUT ON ALBUQUERQUE'S WEST MESA ARE FEARING MORE BODIES WILL BE FOUND NEAR THEIR HOMES. TODAY INVESTIGATORS UNEARTHED A SIXTH SET OF HUMAN REMAINS NEAR A SUBDIVISION AT 118TH AND DENNIS CHAVEZ. AND POLICE BELIEVE IT'S THE WORK OF ONE PERSON. ERIC KAHNERT IS LIVE AT THE DIG SITE WITH TONIGHT'S TOP STORY -- ERIC. EVEN THOUGH THE NEAREST HOMES ARE A FOOTBALL FIELD AWAY ... THOSE RESIDENTS SAY THAT DISTANCE IS STILL TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. THE LATEST SET OF REMAINS WAS FOUND THIS AFTERNOON ... 10 FEET BELOW THE GROUND. ARMED WITH BINOCULARS TWO WEEKS AGO, TRACEY O'DONNEL KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN POLICE SHOWED UP AT THE VACANT LAND BEHIND HER HOME. 'i saw the mobile crime unit, then we were thinking, wow, they have to be uncovering bodies.-7' O'DONNEL'S INTUITION WAS RIGHT. THE FIRST THREE SETS OF REMAINS POLICE DUG UP WERE YOUNG WOMEN ... BELIEVED TO BE DUMPED ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO. TODAY O'DONNEL FOUND OUT INVESTIGATORS DISCOVERED MORE REMAINS. THE NOW SIX SETS OF BONES -- HAVE BEEN THE BUZZ IN O'DONNEL'S NORMALLY QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD. 3:17 'very scary, i have people making jokes telling me, i have a sandbox in my backyard, to make sure my kids don't dig too deep.-8' TEN FEET DEEP ... THAT'S HOW FAR INVESTIGATORS HAD TO DIG TO FIND THE LATEST SET OF REMAINS THIS AFTERNOON. 1:02 'it's in my backyard basically, so being a female and having two young children, it makes me nervous.-7'ALL OF THE REMAINS HAVE BEEN LOCATED WITHIN 20 YARDS OF EACH OTHER. THE ONLY BODY THAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED IS VICTORIA CHAVEZ, A KNOWN DRUG ADDICT AND PROSTITUTE WHO WENT MISSING IN 2004.. 'now that its six, i can't even imagine how many bodies they're going to uncover because this was empty at the time.- 8' SATTELLITE PHOTOS OF THE AREA BEFORE IT WAS DEVELOPED SHOW A SET OF TIRE TRACKS LEADING TO THE SPOT WHERE THE BONES HAVE BEEN FOUND. POLICE SAY ITS TOO EARLY TO TELL IF ALL SIX BODIES ARE WOMEN. O'DONNEL HOPES SOME GOOD CAN COME OUT OF THESE GRUESOME DISCOVERIES. 'if there's missing bodies and they don't have answers to them it would probably help the families.-3' POLICE THINK ONE PERSON DUMPED ALL OF THE BODIES OUT HERE ... SO WE ASKED POLICE IF THIS IS THE WORK OF A SERIAL KILLER? THEY TELL US THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION UNTIL THEY FIND OUT IF ALL SIX WERE IN FACT MURDERED. REPORTING LIVE IN SOUTHWEST ALBUQUERQUE, EKEYWN4. EVEN THOUGH IT'S STILL UNCLEAR WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VICTIMS--- OR HOW THEY DIED -- POLICE TELL US THEY HAVE LOOKED AT A COUPLE OF SUSPECTS -- BOTH OF WHOM ARE NOW DEAD. A HOMICIDE DETECTIVE SAYS ONE OF THEM WAS A PIMP CONNECTED TO VICTORIA CHAVEZ. POLICE FOUND PICTURES OF MISSING PROSTITUTES IN HIS HOME. ANOTHER SUSPECT WAS SHOT AND KILLED THREE YEARS AGO AFTER HE MURDERED A 19- YEAR-OLD PROSTITUTE AND TRIED TO STUFF HER BODY IN THE TRUNK OF HIS CAR. RIGHT NOW THE OFFICE OF THE MEDICAL INVESTIGATOR IS TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHO THE OTHER 5 SETS OF REMAINS BELONG TO. THAT'S A COMPLICATED PROCESS SAYS U-N-M ANTHROPOLOGY PROFESSOR OZZIE PEARSON. USING SOME FAKE BONES AS AN EXAMPLE ... PEARSON SAYS THE EASY PART FOR INVESTIGATORS IS PIECING THE SKELETON TOGETHER ... TO DETERMINE THINGS LIKE GENDER. 12:55 'sometimes causes or likely causes of death, things that have left traces on the bones can be determined pretty quickly also.-7'PROFESSOR PEARSON SAYS THE REAL INVESTIGATING TAKES PLACE AFTER D-N-A IS COLLECTED FROM THE BONES. VICTORIA CHAVEZ WAS QUICKLY IDENTIFIED THROUGH HER DENTAL RECORDS. WE BEGIN OUR ECONOMY WATCH TONIGHT WITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST ECONOMY WATCH TONIGHT WITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST DEALERSHIPS IN ALBUQUERQUE CLOSING ITS DOORS TODAY. ZANGARA DODGE ON LOMAS AND WYOMING HAS A SIGN ON THE DOOR SAYING IT IS TEMPORARILY CLOSING BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMY. THE SIGN SAYS THE DEALERSHIP LOST ITS LENDING SOURCE -- BUT SAYS ALL EMPLOYEES WILL BE PAID WHAT THEY'RE OWED. AN EMPLOYEE WE TALKED TO SAYS HE DIDN'T SEE THIS COMING. went into work today, normal day, about 4:30, they said gather in the new car room. We gathered in the new car room and ken came downstairs with a sad look on his face, and said 'this will be the saddest day of my life.' I have to let everyone go, shook all of our hands and said, 'everybody out by 5.' OWNER KEN ZANGARA TOLD US LAST WEEK THAT HE'S TRYING TO SELL HIS DEALERSHIP. ZANGARA SAID HIS SALES WERE DOWN 50-PERCENT RECENTLY. ZANGARA DODGE OPENED 18 YEARS AGO OF COURSE--- THE BIG THREE U-S AUTOMAKERS ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO REV UP BUSINESS. TODAY GENERAL MOTORS AND CHRYSLER ASKED THE GOVERNMENT FOR AN ADDITIONAL 21 BILLION DOLLARS IN AID. GM'S SURVIVAL PLAN CALLS FOR CUTTING A TOTAL OF 47-THOUSAND JOBS GLOBALLY AND CLOSING FIVE MORE U.S. FACTORIES. CHRYSLER SAYS IT WILL CUT 3 THOUSAND MORE JOBS AND STOP PRODUCING THREE OF ITS MODELS. MEANWHILE, THE UNITED AUTO WORKERS UNION SAYS IT HAS REACHED A TENTATIVE DEAL WITH THE AUTOMAKERS ABOUT CHANGES TO WORKERS'CONTRACTS... WHICH IS A REQUIREMENT TO GET THE BAILOUT MONEY. TODAY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SIGNED HIS ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE INTO LAW IN DENVER. THE 787-BILLION DOLLAR PACKAGE PUMPS MONEY INTO INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, HEALTH CARE, RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION. THERE'S ALSO A 400 DOLLAR TAX BREAK FOR WORKERS THAT WILL BE SPREAD OUT IN THEIR PAYCHECKS OVER THE YEAR ... STARTING IN JUNE. AND IT DISHES OUT HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO STATES FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND EDUCATION. NEW MEXICO IS EXPECTING TO GET ABOUT 700 MILLION DOLLARS. THE STIMULUS PLAN DIDN'T EXACTLY GET INVESTORS EXCITED TODAY. THE DOW PLUNGED NEARLY 300 POINTS ... CLOSING JUST ABOVE 75 HUNDRED. THE NASDAQ FELL 64-POINTS. AND THE S AND P 500 LOST 38. TO SAVE MONEY--- ONE STATE LAWMAKER WANTS TO CUT THE SALARIES OF THE GOVERNOR'S STAFF AND CABINET SECRETARIES NEARLY 300 GOVERNOR APPOINTEES MAKING MORE THAN 75- THOUSAND DOLLARS WOULD SEE A TEN PERCENT CUT. SENATOR SUE WILSON BEFFORT SAYS HER BILL MAKES EXCEPTIONS FOR DOCTORS- LAWYERS AND POLICE. 'We feel that people need to be able to to share in the way the way that we are trying to tighten our belt and the higher paid people that were not brought up through the system should be available for that type of cut.' LATE LAST MONTH .... GOVERNOR RICHARDSON ORDERED 2 PERCENT CUTS FOR 470 OF HIS WORKERS. THE COLLEGE OF SANTA FE MIGHT NOT MAKE IT THROUGH THE SPRING SEMESTER UNLESS EMPLOYEES ACCEPT DEEP PAY CUTS. THE 'SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN' REPORTS THE SCHOOL'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS POISED TO ASK EMPLOYEES TO TAKE A 25- PERCENT PAY CUT. THE SCHOOL NEEDS ABOUT THREE MILLION DOLLARS TO FINISH THE SPRING SEMESTER. THE COLLEGE HAD HOPED TO GET THAT MONEY THROUGH A TAKEOVER BY NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY, BUT THAT PLAN HAS STALLED FOR NOW.// IT'S BEEN EXACTLY TWO YEARS SINCE ALBUQUERQUE'S CELL PHONE BAN WENT INTO EFFECT. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS DRIVE FOR TWO MINUTES THOUGH AND YOU'LL SEE SOMEONE GABBING AWAY BEHIND THE WHEEL -- CELL PHONE GLUED TO THE SIDE OF THEIR FACE. SO WE WANTED TO KNOW IF POLICE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT NAILING THOSE DRIVERS -- WE PARKED AT 4TH AND MONTANO TODAY AND CAUGHT 20 DRIVERS YAKKING ON THEIR CELL PHONES IN JUST 20 MINUTES. IT'S APPARENT A LOT OF DRIVERS DON'T THINK MUCH OF THE LAW. 14:13 'the law is just disregarded routinely by everybody as far as i can tell.or it's ineffective. i don't believe it's being enforced either.' IT'S ALSO APPARENT THAT POLICE COULD WRITE HUNDREDS OF TICKETS A DAY IF THEY WANTED TO....OR IF THEY HAD THE MANPOWER. SO HOW MANY TICKETS ARE POLICE WRITING? BACK IN 2007 POLICE GAVE DRIVERS A TWO MONTH GRACE PERIOD AND ONLY GAVE OUT WARNINGS ... AFTER THAT THEY HANDED OUT A LITTLE MORE THAN 3 AND A HALF TICKETS A DAY. LAST YEAR POLICE GOT A LITTLE MORE SERIOUS. IN 2008 -- THAT NUMBER MORE THAN DOUBLED -- UP TO 7 AND A HALF TICKETS A DAY. AND 2009 SHOULDN'T BE ANY DIFFERENT. 19:20 'there's still tac plans that are done on a weekly basis where traffic will go out and target and area and look for people that are on their cell phones.' THE FINE FOR TALKING ON A HAND-HELD CELL PHONE AND DRIVING IN ALBUQUERQUE IS 100 BUCKS. IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING -- 14 DRIVERS HAVE BEEN NAILED TWICE. TONIGHT THE F-B-I HOPES SOMEONE CAN HELP THEM IDENTIFY A WOMAN WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND TEN YEARS AGO IN GALLUP. TODAY THE FEDS RELEASED THESE SKETCHES OF WHAT THE WOMAN MAY HAVE LOOKED LIKE. HER BODY WAS FOUND IN A SHALLOW GRAVE OFF I-40 NEAR GALLUP. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING-- CONTACT THE F-B-I. AN ALBUQUERQUE PRINCIPAL IS BACK  « Less