What police uncovered in Elephant Butte’s Hot Springs Landing (Part 1/3) | Forensic Files

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this episode on your app or on our website it was 322 p.m. on March 22 1999 when
Sierra counties 9-1-1 emergency central dispatch received a call from a local residential number when the operator
answered or they could hear on the other end of the line was a muffled commotion
like an altercation was taking place nothing distinguishable was said and the caller soon hung up sensing something
was wrong the 9-1-1 operator phoned the number back minutes later and a woman answered sounding flustered and
irritated the woman apologized for making the initial call brushing it off as a mistake she insisted everything was
fine before abruptly hanging up after this second call the 9-1-1 operator felt the situation was a little off wanting
to make sure everything was okay the operator radioed through the local police they request that an officer
conduct a welfare check of the property from where the phone calls were made Sierra County deputy David Alston
accepted the task the phone number was listed under the address five one three baths Road in Hot
Springs landing a small suburban community located on the northeastern cusp of the new mexico town Elephant
Butte situated near the southwestern corner of New Mexico State Elephant Butte is a small and quiet desert
Township with a population of just over 1,000 people the town mostly attracts retirees people looking to settle and
slow down and amongst the space Sun and serenity residents and visitors alike are drawn
to the relaxing lake lifestyle offered by the town due to its proximity to Elephant Butte Lake nestled on the
townships eastern edge spread over 36,000 acres with more than 200 miles of shoreline the lake is a mecca for
outdoor recreational activity from camping and picnicking to fishing boating and water sports during warmer
holiday seasons the lake attracts upwards of 100,000 visitors to its shores it's the 84th largest man-made
lake in the United States and crosses at the Rio Grande River which forms part of
the border separating the u.s. from Mexico Elephant Butte Lake lies within Elephant Butte State Park the largest
state park in New Mexico the park is maintained tuned overseen by Park officers like Krista Cassie and Michael
Lanford on the afternoon of March 22 to Gussie and Langford were at the state parks office getting through a routine
uneventful day as 3 o'clock ASP the pier started to notice increasing chatter over local police radio when they heard
mention of a bass road address their eyes locked as part of their employment with the state park staff members were
offered residential properties around town to lease it incredibly low prices bass road was an area where parks
employees lived taking advantage of the cheap rent believing the situation may involve one of their colleagues officers
the gassy and Langford decided to attend the address to see if they could offer assistance to deputy Elston
the drive north from the state parks office to bass road only took a few minutes as the pair approached the scene
they caught sight of a green car pulled over to the side of the road a woman was
standing nearby waving her arms frantically the gassy and Lanford slowed their vehicle to a stop
the woman was visibly rattled and told them she had just witnessed a naked woman covered in blood come running down
the road a chain clearly visible around her neck the officer scanned the immediate area
but the naked woman described was nowhere to be seen aware that more officers were on their
way the Gaussian Lanford ordered the witness the state put they couldn't wait around they needed to continue onwards
to the location of the emergency call five one three bus road bass road is located in Hot Springs
landing a small suburban community consisting of mobile homes lining dirt roads named after fish Pike catfish
trout and a bass sporadic desert shrubbery provided little shade two front lawns which
consisted mostly of coarse sand and patches of dry wild grass framing the eastern edge of the community was the
shoreline of Elephant Butte Lake and further out the arid flat endless horizon of dusty grasslands and cracked
earth of the New Mexico desert the Gaussian Lanford were the first to arrive at five one three bus road much
like others in the area the property was unremarkable a single-story double-wide
mobile home with white exterior walls and a flat corrugated iron roof a makeshift shed was attached to one side
and piles of junk old boats and several semi-truck trailers were scattered around the messy grounds a chain-link
fence frame to the front of the property with a small metal plate attached that warned beware of the dog propped up on
the front lawn was a large wooden sign a red David P ray [Music] offices too gassy and Lanford approached
the house at 5:00 on three baths rode with curiosity contrary to the earlier radio communication from 9-1-1 dispatch
there were no signs of a commotion or altercation at the address it was quiet and nobody appeared to be home knocks to
the front door went unanswered and - nothing stirred within the pair decided to wait for deputy Elston to arrive
before advancing any further in the meantime another call was received at Sierra counties nine one one
emergency central dispatch the naked woman with a chain around her neck had been spotted again this time running
down Spring Lane Boulevard a remote road lined with dry shrubbery desert vegetation and the odd home the
woman attempted to wave down and get into passing cars but frightened as drivers quickly locked their doors and
sped away local resident Doris was driving home after doing some grocery shopping when she spotted the naked
woman running along the road Doris later stated quote that's when I saw all the chains on her and the blood she was just
running around in circles at first I thought someone was chasing her but I didn't see anyone she had blood on her
face it was quite a shock she didn't say anything she didn't make any noise at all she just looked wild but the time
police officers arrived for the area and searched for the woman she was nowhere to be seen
as reports spread of the strange happenings around hot springs landing deputy Elston arrived two five one three
bus road we're officers the gassy and lands that were waiting they informed the deputy that the house appeared empty
which was unusual considering the 9-1-1 call was made there only minutes earlier
as the trio discussed their next step Sierra County Sheriff Terry Byers arrived on the scene the four officers
decided to split up in teams and circle the property each entering the building through separate doors quickly yet
carefully that cleared the house checking each room for persons who may need assistance however no one was
inside the officers reconvened in the living room a dreary lived in space full of mess and clutter heavily curtain'd
windows offered little light against the dated striped wallpaper and dark timber
furnishings the room was cramped and lacked a warmth or comfort tucked away in a corner was an out-of-place bed
pieces of green glass were scattered across its surface and a broken lamp lay on the floor nearby the mattress was
stained with blood as was the carpet below and a bloody ice pick was spotted on the floor next to the bed it was
clear a violent struggle had taken place there recently and that someone had been
badly injured immediately observable above the bed were chains and hooks hanging from sliding steel rods operated
by a system of pulleys they also found a box resembling a coffin pushed against the wall with
shackles inside perhaps most disturbing weather chains with padlocks extending from the four corners of the bed the
attending officers were struck with the unnerving possibility that someone might
have been restrained there hanging from pegboards on the wall were a variety of sinister looking handmade devices made
from sharp scrap metals in another room of the house two chains hung from the ceiling shoulder-width
apart inside this room was another bed as well as a dresser the top surface of the dresser was cluttered with many
menacing objects on display pliers scissors clips harnesses muzzles and sex toys graphic images of hardcore
pornography were stuck to the walls unsure exactly of what they had discovered the four officers went back
outside what they had found inside the house was unlike anything they had ever seen before as they speculated over what
may have happened yet another call was made to 9-1-1 this time a female caller told the operator quote i'm calling for
a young lady that ran into my house she says she's just been raped she's got a chain on her send someone right away
this lady's naked she says they've been holding her for three days responding to
this call Sierra County deputy Peter bow Widow it's drive down the cracked asphalt strip of hot springs Landing
Road as his colleagues were searching the borrowed property just meters away though we do' it spotted an elderly man
standing at the front of her home waving him down the man introduced himself as Donald he told the widow it's that a
young naked woman with a chain around her neck had barged into his house a short while ago desperately pleading for
help the woman was frightened and bleeding Donald's wife Darlene immediately contacted emergency services and was
currently inside tending to the woman has been widowed at Cindy's part in her approach the couple's mobile home the
woman rushed out the front door towards them she was clearly distressed a pink robe
was draped over her bruised scratched and bloodied body and a metal collar clamped together with a padlock was
visible around her neck a chain that appeared to be about five feet long was attached to the collar dragging behind
her the woman screamed out to the officers go and let them get me she revealed her name Cynthia V Hill
Cynthia explained that days earlier she had been kidnapped by a man and a woman they took her to their house where they
chained her up inside and refused to let her go she was repeatedly raped and tortured by her captors Cynthia didn't
know the address where she was hold nor did she ever get a good look at the exterior of the property
she was only ever kept inside away from the windows Cinthia referred to her male captor as
dave pointing to the attending police officers uniform she remarked he was one of them she referred to her female
captor as Cindy with confidence cynthia claimed if she saw her captors again she
could easily identify them cynthia was rushed to Sierra Vista Hospital for immediate treatment with the information
shared so far provided to police the dots were starting to connect between each scene in hot springs landing
it appeared Cynthia veal had been imprisoned at five one three bus road for several days after she managed to
escape she sprinted along neighboring roads where she was spotted by multiple witnesses before taking refuge in the
house of Donald and Darlene elsewhere state parks officer Byron Wilson was finishing up paperwork in his
office and was almost ready to go home for the day when he heard chatter over the police radio about a naked woman
running through the streets a potential rape and an address on bass road realizing the situation unfolding
involved a state parks property Wilson decided to forego heading home and headed straight to Hot Springs landing
to find out what was going on on his way officer Wilson spotted a cream-colored Toyota motorhome traveling in the
opposite direction down Rock Canyon Road as the RV approached Wilson caught sight
of the male driver and his female passenger although he didn't know the couple well Wilson recognized the man as
his colleague from the state parks a mechanic named David Parker ray David Parker ray had lived in Elephant Butte
since 1993 and was well-liked within the local community considered friendly and
approachable ray was the kind of guy who was always happy to do favors for others
sitting beside him in the motorhome was his partner Cindy Hendy officer Wilson casually waved at the
couple as their vehicle passed or when Wilson reached the crime scene at five one three bus road he quickly
learned it was David Parker Ray's property stories were emerging of alleged abduction imprisonment and rape
realizing he had only just recently crossed paths with Ray in Hindi as they drove away from the area Wilson
suspected the couple were in the process of making an escape following Wilson's directions police car sped to where the
couple were last sighted Rock Canyon Road and near three and a half mile stretch they cut through Elephant Butte
and moved northerly into the rural desert outskirts they assumed David Parker ray and Cindy Hendy were fleeing
into the expensive New Mexico desert but were confident they couldn't have traveled far in the lumbering motor home
with lights flashing and sirens wailing police cars descended on Rock Canyon Road from all directions
officer Byron Wilson had gotten as far as nearby Springfield Boulevard when he was surprised to cross paths again with
David Parker Ray's motor home it was not escaping outwards into the desert as expected but strangely appeared to be
homeward bound Wilson performed a swift u-turn and caught up behind to the RV he signaled
for it to pull over the are they slowed moved to the side of the road and came to a stop other officers arrived and
surrounded the motor home David Parker ray was ordered via loudspeaker to step out of the vehicle
he yelled back saying this wasn't necessary the police repeated their demand the
RV's door swung open 59 year-old David Parker ray emerged his skin wrinkled and tanned from the Desert Sun a bushy blond
mustache hung over his upper lip and his thin white colored hair was slicked back
the moment Ray's feet hit the ground he was knocked down handcuffed cutted down and forced into the rear seat of a
waiting police car Ray's partner thirty nine-year-old Cindy Hendy emerged next the slim blonde woman was covered in her
own blood which wept from a deep gash above her left ear she too was quickly restrained and - scored it straight to
hospital David Parker ray was taken to Richard R Cooper boat safety training center located inside Elephant Butte
Lake State Park the training center was closer and better equipped than local police stations for Elephant Butte small
population and violent crimes involving kidnapping rape and torture were incredibly a typical drug and property
crimes were standard violent crimes did occur but most were common assaults understanding this highly unusual and
sensitive case required the resources of a larger more experienced policing department Sierra County Sheriff Terry
Byers called in assistance from New Mexico State Police New Mexico State Police criminal investigator Wesley la
Cuesta arrived at the training center had around a 555 that evening after being briefed on the situation the
Questor ordered that no one was to interview David Parker ray until he first spoke with the alleged victim
Cynthia veal 22 year-old Cynthia veal had been a Sierra Vista Hospital since 4 p.m.
still in shock from her ordeal Cynthia repeated the mantra I'm safe here I'm safe here as nurses treated her starving
she was given food but promptly throw it back up her body was covered in cuts and bruises
and caked with dried blood a thorough examination was carried out to determine the extent of her injuries and a rape
kit was administered during these tests Cynthia broke down sobbing saying why me
why me why did they do that to me all Cynthia's injuries were external and none were considered life-threatening
but it was clear the metal collar around her neck was causing her great emotional
distress without the tools necessary to remove it hospital staff summoned a maintenance worker who arrived at the
ward with a pair of bolt cutters the padlock securing the device together was cut as soon as the collar fell from her
neck Cynthia threw it across the room relieved to be free from the collar Cynthia seemed to settle down but her
calm stayed was temporary when she spotted Cindy Hendy being escorted into the hospital by police for treatment of
her head wound Cynthia started to panic she cried out that's her don't let her in she's here
for me as well as the head injury Hendy also had a cut on her right ring finger and several smaller ones across her legs
his medical staff treated her and II told them she had been hit in the head with a lamp
none of her injuries were serious and once she was traded police led hindy out of the hospital before she left
Hindi pointed to Cynthia Vale and said quote that girl should be checked because the [ __ ] is on heroin hindi was
then taken to the training center in Elephant Butte Lake State Park where her partner David Parker ray was already
being detained [Music] once Cynthia V Hill had been assessed by doctors and her injuries treated police
proceeded to interview her about her abduction when she spoke to police she was upfront about her drug use and
openly admitted to using heroin in the two days prior to her abduction her reliance on drugs was a result of a
traumatic childhood that included the loss of her mother to whom Cynthia was very close since her mother's death
Cynthia had been estranged from her remaining family members staying in cheap motels and paying her way as a sex
worker sometime between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on March 20 1999 Cynthia was walking to a restaurant in
her home city of Albuquerque in central New Mexico as she crossed through a parking lot off Albuquerque's main strip
of Central Avenue she ran into a male acquaintance he pointed out a motor home that was parked nearby and explained a
man inside was interested in her services needing money Cynthia nodded and headed towards the
vehicle as Cynthia approached the Toyota motorhome she glimpsed that the male driver sitting behind the wheel he was
older with wrinkled dirt and skin and a distinctive bushy mustache he motioned for her to come inside when Cynthia
rented the man got straight to the point he spoke in a friendly manner as the pair discussed the price he would pay to
engage Cynthia in sex work later Cynthia would come to learn the man's name was Dave once they came to an agreement
David Parker ray started the engine and steered out of the parking lot moments later ray took out a police
badge and flashed it at Cynthia telling her he was an undercover police officer and that she was under arrest for
soliciting before Cynthia had time to properly assess the situation Cindy Hendy emerged from behind a curtain that
hung between the front and rear compartment of the motor home carrying a pair of handcuffs certain the pair were
not real police officers Cynthia desperately thrashed about whilst Hindy tried to handcuff her Cynthia screamed
as loud as she could in the hope someone would hear the motor home halted break stood and quickly clamped one of the
cuffs to Cynthia's wrists before forcing her to the back of the vehicle Ezreal today handcuffed Cynthia to a pipe she
continued to fight and scream Andy grabbed a cattle prod pointed it toward Cynthia and threatened to use it if she
didn't settle down and comply with no other options Cynthia did as she was told and her captors restrained her to the
pipe Ray returned to the driver's seat and the vehicle took off again with handi in the passenger seat next to him
locked in the back of the motor home Cynthia continued to wrestle with her restraints she heard a faint squeaking
and noticed that was coming from the pipe she was attached to the screws joining the pipe to the floor were loose
with great effort she carefully and quietly twisted the screws until they came out allowing her to slip away from
the pipe before Cynthia was able to consider her next move the motor home came to an abrupt stop at a traffic
light the unexpected job cost Cynthia to slam into the wall of the vehicle alerting
her captors to the fact she was now unrestrained hindi quickly retrieved the cattle prod and directed at at Cynthia
forcing her again to obey she and Ray stripped cynthia naked removing the woman's black and brown pullover jacket
white shirt blue jeans black checkered shorts and white tennis shoes they handcuffed Cynthia to a more secure part
of the vehicle and stuck duct tape over her mouth the drive to their destination
was long and unfamiliar spending the entire trip restrained on the floor Cynthia was unable to see out the window
to take notice of any distinguishable landmarks she had no idea where they were going
but knew from the long drive it was far from home during their one stopped to get gas
Cynthia was threatened with a gun Hindi warned her if you scream I'll kill you the vehicle didn't stop again until it
reached its final destination by now they had travelled over 150 miles south from where Cynthia was abducted in
Albuquerque to Ray's house in Elephant Butte when the vehicle stopped Cynthia's ankles were shackled and she
was once again warned not to scream the vehicle had been parked close to the front door to Ray's home
Cynthia was quickly forced inside barely catching a glimpse of her foreign desert surrounds once inside the house
Cynthia was led down a hallway to a dark and uninviting living room with dreary Brown striped wallpaper a bed was tucked
in a corner it was lost amongst the meager belongings cause of junk and trash worn furniture and a television
set a metal collar was quickly clamped around Cynthia's neck it was thick and strong a five-foot chain led from the
collar and its end was padlocked to a bracket on the wall above the bed Cynthia was then forced to lay down on
the mattress as her limits were restrained by chains attached to the beds four corners she was then
blindfolded and gagged unable to say anything Cynthia heard the click of a tape recorder button an audio tape began to
play the tape featured raised distinct voice Cynthia recalled hearing the words you
have been selected or something similar raised voice was calm and steady as though he was reading from a scripted
speech as the tape continued his matter-of-fact tone gradually became more upbeat
sometimes even giddy confused and terrified Cynthia could barely pay attention to the words Ray
was saying the recording drained on and on for what felt like forever she would later refer to this tape as her
introduction which narrated every horrifying thing that was going to be done to her at the hands of her captors
she recalled quote the way he talked I didn't feel like this was his first time it was like he knew what he was doing he
told me I was never going to see my family again he told me he would kill me like the
others although she would never be able to remember exact minute by minute occurrences during her captivity Cynthia
would never forget what was done to her at gunpoint she was forced to endure her
acts of sadism and torture she was led through the house to a room where whips medical instruments and other torture
devices were out on display Cynthia was strung up by chains which hung from the ceiling and was further
sexually assaulted and tortured an old motor was rigged up attached to Cynthia via cables and he used to administer
electric shocks to her body the shocks were so powerful and painful that she'd often lose consciousness as a result
throughout her ordeal ray took photographs of her to keep his perverted mementos when she was not being
tormented Cynthia was kept in the living room where she was chained to the bed by
her arms legs and neck sitting nearby where ray and Hendy who casually watched television she was given only one
serving of food to keep her going but not enough to help her gather any energy or strength
Cinthia record ray showing her photographs of other women bound and tortured it seemed clear to Cynthia that
she was not David Parker Ray's first prisoner on the morning of March 22 the third day of her captivity
Cynthia woke and caught sight of ray wearing what she interpreted to be a police officer's uniform in reality
there was a raised State Parks uniform which bore a resemblance in similarities to those worn by local law enforcement
remembering the police badge she had flashed during her abduction an unsettling thought crossed Cynthia's
Morland what if her captor was an officer of the law before he left for work ray told Cynthia he had a surprise
for her once he returned home that afternoon he was going to take her into his toy box it was not the first time
Cynthia heard of the toy box but she had yet to learn what it was in reference to
she ever heard Hindi mention at the night before believing Cynthia was too exhausted to escape ray removed if a
change that were restraining her arms and legs to the bed this allowed her to stretch and move to an extent the caller
still remained around her neck keeping her chained firmly to the wall ray left for work
leaving Cynthia alone with Cindy Hendy without Ray around there was an uneventful day and Andy spent most of
the time watching television at around 3 p.m. the women were startled by the sound of the house phone ringing Hindi
answered the call placing the keys to Cynthia's restraints down on a coffee table
as the conversation continued Hindi's focus on Cynthia lessened until she wandered out of the room completely and
into the kitchen Cynthia courtside the keys on the coffee table and II distracted by the phone
conversation had carelessly forgotten about them when she walked away after days of torture with a very little food
Cynthia was physically weak it took all of her remaining strength to stretch her
body towards the coffee table and twist her foot around one of its legs after successfully making contact she pulled
the table towards her as quietly as possible once it was close enough Cynthia crapped the keys fearful Hindi
would reappear at any moment Cynthia slowed down and thought carefully about her next move ignoring the temptation to
begin unlocking her neck restraint she instead focused on pushing the coffee table back to its original place
this way when Hindi returned she wouldn't immediately notice that the table had been moved and that Cynthia
had obtained the keys full of nervous energy Cynthia used her leg to maneuver the table back to where it had been but
as her leg was still outstretched hindi suddenly entered the room catching cynthia in the act with the
keys in her hand furious Hindi rushed at Cynthia dropping the phone on the mattress as she lunged
when Cynthia refused to let go of the keys Hendy grabbed a nearby lamp and used it the belt Cynthia across the head
smashing the lamp into pieces the impact should have been enough to impair Cynthia but any pain was masked by the
surge of adrenaline pumping through her veins during the scuffle Cynthia managed to reach out and grab
the phone that handy had dropped on the mattress quickly dialing 9-1-1 the emergency blind operator answered but
hindy snatched the phone away and terminated the call in this brief moment of distraction
Cynthia saw an opportunity she reached down and grabbed an ice pick that was lying near the bed slashing it across
the back of Hindi's head the impact was enough to send Hindi into an immediate days as blood started to pour from the
open wound using the keys Cynthia quickly unlocked the padlock that was securing her collar chained to
the wall when the padlock on clicked and fell Cynthia stumbled to her fate and rushed
out of the house the collars chained dragging behind her as she ran naked and covered in blood she headed out into the
unfamiliar surrounds completely disoriented the course and of the desert landscape scraped the bottoms of her
bare feet as she bolted dragging the neck chain along behind her motorists passed her by some locking their doors
and accelerating away as she screamed for them to stop desperate for help Cynthia ride every
property she ran to but they appeared empty when she finally spotted a double-wide mobile home with lights on
and its front door open she sprinted in screaming for help 60 year-old darlene was startled by the
intruder cynthia begged darlene not to let them get her darlene later described Cynthia's physical state quote her
wrists looked like hamburger meat she had beautiful long brown hair and it was all matted with blood she was dirty all
over her breasts were black and blue and - there were bruises all over her arms and legs Darlene's husband Donald had
only just returned home from his job at the post office he was in the bedroom when he heard someone barging into their
home when he went to investigate he saw Cynthia who was traumatized and could barely speak she desperately asked
Donald to remove the caller from around her neck but realizing the seriousness of the situation
Donald Felder was a job best left for the police as he retrieved a bathrobe to cover the frightened woman darlene
quickly called 9-1-1 whilst waiting for the police to arrive Cynthia hid under the kitchen table
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mate ship happen criminal investigator Wesley la questa listened intently to Cynthia vo story
although a horrific ordeal seemed too appalling to be true there was little doubt from the puncture wounds cuts
bruises and a burn marks across her body that Cynthia had been violently tortured
at the hands of David Parker ray and Cindy Hendy after completing his interview with Cynthia Lacroix Stowe
made his way to the training center in Elephant Butte Lake State Park where David Parker ray and Cindy Hendy were
being held the couple were separated and kept in different rooms which were under
constant guard by police their clothing had been seized for testing ray in Hindi
explained to their side of the story to authorities they admitted to abducting Cynthia V Hill against her will but for
a bizarre reason they claimed it was for Cynthia's own good as they knew she was
a heroin addict and wanted to help her keep her addiction they told police they brought Cynthia to their home and
chained her up only to get her through the most severe part of the heroin withdrawal process when Cynthia escaped
Hendy Cordrey at his workplace to tell him ray told colleagues he had an emergency at home and abruptly left work
before his shift ended he didn't explain what kind of emergency it was ray rushed
home to pick up handy and the couple commenced the search of the local area for Cynthia that was when they were
pulled over on Springfield Boulevard and taken into custody information provided
by Cynthia as well as the scene officers had witnessed at Ray's house told a different story both ray and Hindi were
charged with one count of kidnapping one count of assault one count of criminal sexual penetration and two counts of
conspiracy they both denied the allegations once the charges were laid they were moved to the Sierra County
Detention Center and refused to answer any more questions [Music] the crime-scene team had been standing
at the front of five one three bus road for hours waiting in anticipation for a search warrant to be issued by 7:30 p.m.
March 23 the warrant was approved and investigators headed in however night had fallen and the property was too dark
for a thorough search to be conducted the search had to be postponed until daybreak the following morning March 24
that morning ray in Hindi had made their first court appearance where their bonds
were set at 1 million dollars each payable in cash only there was an impossible amount for the
pair to pay ensuring they remained in custody while the search of their home was conducted the search needed to be
undertaken with diligence as this was an unprecedented case investigators couldn't afford to be careless before a
single thing was touched or examined a detailed sketch of the house layout was made whilst photographers and
videographers moved through meticulously documenting every inch the double-wide mobile home leased to David Parker ray
was cluttered and unkept had featured a master bedroom a smaller second bedroom a living space kitchen and bathroom
clothing worn by Cynthia veal on the day of her abduction was found in the master
bedroom including her white shirt blue jeans and white tennis shoes amongst Ray's belongings
investigators discovered 401 unique articles that did not appear to be property belonging to either David
Parker ray or Cindy Hendy these belongings included a large collection of women's jewelry clothing and other
accessories a 25-foot long wide windowless semi-truck trailer sat at the rear of
the property a steel-reinforced a double deadbolt sealed the door shut requiring the services of a locksmith to
open it there were no locksmiths in Elephant Butte so police had to bring one in from the nearby larger town of
Truth or Consequences the town's only locksmith arrived on the scene at 9:45 a.m. and unlocked the door hanging on
one interior wall was a sign that read st. ins Dan another next to it read the bondage room but this was the room David
Parker ray would refer to as his toy box the first thing officer soar upon entry
was a handmade motorized the black reclining chair situated in the center of the trailer it was similar in design
to the type of chair used for gynecological examinations except unlike the medical chair it was based on this
one had several unique additions metal stirrups electrodes and several red nylon straps were attached and the chair
was on top of a tract allowing it to slide backwards and forwards walls and shelves were adorned with a chilling
collection of torture instruments which included a branding iron clamps leather belts paddles sandpaper saw blades
needles suction cups whips and forceps items used to incapacitate such as ammonia pills bottled chloroform and
syringes were also discovered a large variety of sex toys were strewn about made of differing materials wood metal
latex and plastic equipment used to restrain or detain such as harnesses chains handcuffs pulleys and ropes were
hung throughout products like lubricant baby oil body lotion lipstick mouthwash perfume and shampoo were also discovered
several books on Anatomy and witchcraft were spotted as were many pornographic magazines a court bulletin board
featured Pinder photographs and illustrations of adult females being tortured a sign above it read the lure
of Satanism which was the theme that carried elsewhere on display nearby were two replica skulls one with three
candles on top a long black robe with a red cape and a Barbie doll trapped in Chains
a list of instructions explained how to use a motorized machine to inflict damage to breasts these instructions
ended with the following warning quote this process is very painful and due to the constant motion the body will not
adjust to the pain during the operation the subject will remain in extremely painful duress a television hung on the
wall at the foot of the chair with a video camera set up on a tripod near boy its lens pointed towards the chair a 15
inch motorized the dildo was attached to a large generator featuring three switches buzzer light and a probe a
large aluminium drawer pulled open to reveal a six-foot long cot similar to that found in a morgue
investigators also came across a clipboard containing a list of names the interior of the trailer had been rigged
to be completely soundproof meaning those outside could not hear what was going on inside a note found on
the wall contained a list of warnings to ensure his victims remained captive a read like a kind of mantra quote
remember a woman will do or say anything to get loose that will kick scratch offer money but yo beg scream run offer
sex threaten lie wait for opportunity standard excuses and sob stories menstruating pregnant venereal disease
aids sick kids with babysitter after work a sick baby a sick parent claustrophobia mr. by husband or friend
bad heart can't miss school don't let her get to you if she was worth taking she is worth keeping and she must be
subjected to hypnosis before the woman can be safely released never trust the change captive upon
inspecting the contents of the trailer local police were quick to realize this situation was completely out of their
depth they simply didn't have the resources or expertise required to investigate the FBI were called in to
assist and evidence collected at the scene was sent to the FBI crime labs for testing as the comprehensive search
continued and police waited for the lab results persistence was also requested from the FBI's behavioral science unit
because Cindy Hendy had started talking cindy Handy's life was one of chaos born
in Seattle Washington on February 6 1969 she was abused by her stepfather from a
young age when she confided in her mother about the abuse her stepfather denied the accusations and hen Dee's
mother took her partner's sword deeming her daughter a lawyer things didn't get any better for Cindy Hendy and by age 12
she was kicked out of the family home struggling to make it on her own candy became embroiled in a series of
abusive relationships given her circumstances handy herself adopted a violent nature and too lacked empathy
for those around her partners and friends remarked Cindy was all muscle despite being only 105 pounds she could
easily beat up women who were twice her size beating up men wasn't a problem either
many of her boyfriends were into hard drugs and it wasn't long before Hindi became a user herself
by age 16 hindi was pregnant with her first child a boy over the following years she had two more children both
daughters all three children had different fathers in 1997 Cindy got in trouble with the law
attempting to sell cocaine to an undercover police officer as a result 37 year old hindi was
ordered to attend a drug counseling course despite knowing her refusal would result in jail time she skipped town
leaving Washington State and making her way down to New Mexico she decided to settle in the town of Truth or
Consequences five miles southwest of Elephant Butte it didn't take long before hindy found herself in trouble
with local authorities in Truth or Consequences in January 1998 after an arrest for driving whilst intoxicated
candy was sentenced to 30 days jail with six months probation and 50 hours of community service as part of her
sentencing she was also awarded to attend a course for drink-driving offenders a month later hindi was
arrested again this time for assaulting a member of her household but these charges were later dropped when she
agreed to attend anger-management classes to get her behavior under control handi was required to perform
her court-mandated 50 hours of community service at Elephant Butte State Park where she met state parks employee David
Parker ray there was a chance encounter for the pair and they hit it off immediately
many nights were spent drinking and socializing at Elephant Butte local watering hole the blue waters saloon
where the pair got to know each other well handy and Ray were polar opposites Hendy was an extrovert whereas array was
introverted but the two soon discovered they had one thing in common both were sadists deriving pleasure and sexual
gratification from inflicting pain and humiliation on others this shared interest that was enough to
draw the pair together and they soon became a couple by January 1999 hindi had moved into Ray's home at five one
three bus road they'd only been a couple for eight months when they found themselves under arrest for Cynthia
Veals abduction two days after her arrest Cindy Hendy broke her silence and agreed to be formally interviewed during
her interview Hindi admitted to knowing that David Parker ray was a dangerous and deadly man he had a long criminal
history and hadn't spared her any of the details earlier on in their relationship
Ray had told Hindi about a time he was questioned by the FBI in relation to the disappearance and murder of several
women Ray was living in defense Lake New Mexico a mostly rural area with a population of less than 50 people which
didn't consist of much other than a few ranches offense Lake David Parker ray owned farmland where he harvested crops
and raised the cattle one day the FBI paid him a visit they wanted to speak to Ray about accusations of his involvement
with a slavery ring and murder they had received a tip-off that Ray had been abducting women mostly of Mexican
descent and was then selling them off as slaves but with no evidence to support the allegation the FBI investigation
didn't progress further beyond this initial line of questioning ray bragged to handie that he was able to talk his
way out of it employing he was guilty of the crimes after dodging the FBI ray lived a transient life constantly
relocating and never staying in one place for long wherever he went he continued his brutal attacks on women
using a fake police badge to trap his victims Ray's view of women was no secret to Hindi he believed he owned
women until that they existed purely to serve Him when he talked about killing women he
referred to them as packages handy recalled when Ray told her about his first alleged murder ray was 20 years
old at the time and living in Berlin New Mexico the town he grew up in ray told handy that he abducted a schoolgirl and
tied her to a tree where he proceeded to rape her beat her and finally strangled
her to death ray enjoyed the experience immensely he told Hendy he had been so aroused
that he knew from that moment he would continue to torture and kill women according to handy ray selected his
victims based on whether their physical appearance matched his type he preferred
large breasted women that for the most part were either of Oriental or Mexican descent specifically he targeted sex
workers believing they were less likely to be reported as missing sometimes he would put makeup on his victims to make
them look more desirable before he tortured them in total ray confessed to handie that he had killed over 30 people
during a 40-year span including men and women of his alleged murders 18 occurred
within New Mexico Sierra County but he also claimed to have left undiscovered victims in other dumping grounds in
Texas New Mexico and Arizona Ray never revealed the supposed to blow keishon of his dumping grounds to handy but she did
know he was incredibly careful not to leave any objects on the bodies of his victims such as distinctive jewelry or
clothing anything that could later identify them in one story ray claimed he brought a short oriental looking girl
with black hair Hindu Issa funhaus referring to his torture trailer when they were inside ray pulled out a gun
aimed it at the back of her head and pulled the trigger the girl didn't die instantly so ray shot her again he
placed her body in the back of his truck and this most of her at one of his dumping
grounds in another story ray told Hindi that he was disposing the body of another one of his victims when the body
started to protrude a foul smell he dumped the body in a ravine and tried to cover up the odor by kicking dirt on top
of it after he left the scene he decided that he wanted to keep the girl's skull
as a memento but when he returned a big red dog was standing on top of the pile of dirt ray took this as a bad omen and
quickly fled the scene leaving the body untouched ray spoke of kidnap and murder
so often that Hindi had become desensitized to his words and didn't take much notice of what he was saying
she told the investigators quote and went in one ear and out the other in the early 1990s David Parker ray
moved to Elephant Butte where he took a job as a mechanic for the state park Ray's job afforded him a lot of downtime
which handy explained he filled by constructing restraint and torture devices to use against his victims the
implements were made from various pieces of junky accumulated and were designed to restrain constrain and to cause
immeasurable pain to those who used them on one such device was called a knee spreader which was used to forcefully
pry and hold open their uses of legs if they tried to close their legs that would be cut by spikes this device had
been spotted by officers at five one three Bass Road on the day Cynthia V Hill had escaped another device shaped
like the number 8 was used to constrain breasts ray also made a spiked glove featuring razors on each fingertip he
dubbed it the Freddy Krueger glove tinkering with junk and putting things together with tools was part of Ray's
job so his disturbing hobby didn't raise any suspicions as for Handy's involvement in ray's
alleged crimes she confessed to participating to an extent she admitted to assisting ray in the abduction
imprisonment and torture of some of his victims in February that year a month before the abduction of Cynthia veal
Andy helped ray capture a woman she referred to only as Angela after Angela's imprisonment hindiii insisted
ray released the woman leaving her alive on the side of a highway Andy also told
investigators that Ray had an obsession with taking photographs of his victims during their torture which he kept this
mementos this statement matched information provided by Cynthia viel who previously told police that during her
captivity ray had taken photos of her and had also shown her images featuring other restraint women with Hindi now
corroborating Cynthia's story the likelihood that Ray had more victims was further solidified however Hindi said
ray would always burn his latest photo collection after a certain period of time which ruled out the possibility
that investigators could use them to identify Ray's other victims in addition to the photographs
Andy explained too that Ray also kept what he referred to as physiological forms these forms documented a physical
description of each of his victims including their heart weight age and other distinguishing features
despite her shocking revelations Hendy made it clear that she had never actually witnessed any of David Parker
Ray's alleged murders take place and that she couldn't provide any evidence to prove they had ever occurred the
information she was providing was based purely on stories Ray had told her had the conclusion of her interview
investigators asked Hindi if she had anything else you wanted to add she responded quote you might want to
dig up the backyard David Parker ray declined the offer to be interviewed instead as he awaited trial prison
guards intercepted letters that he wrote to friends and family members and made copies to assist police with their
investigation one letter was addressed to David Parker ray sister Peggy and another was for his son David Ervine
investigators question to both Peggy and David on March 27 their statements offered a detailed insight into the
history of this secretive and sadistic men born in Berlin New Mexico in 1939 David Parker ray was the first child of
Cecil and Eddie ray this was an inharmonious family led by an alcoholic and abusive patriarch when Ray was 10
years old his parents divorced and he and his younger sister Peggy were sent to live with their grandparents on a
ranch in nearby mountain air when their grandmother passed away life at the ranch became strict and the children
were often neglected their grandfather was a tough disciplinarian and failure to follow his rules resulted in physical
punishment at school the awkward and shy array was often a target for bullies as
an insecure teen he turned to drugs and alcohol to cope ray Harvard an affinity for all things
mechanical so after finishing high school he took a job as an auto mechanic brain enlisted in the United States
military and was deployed to Korea at the age of 21 his mechanical skills were put to good use and he earned a
reputation for being able to fix anything from watches to heavy machinery after four years of military service ray
was honorably discharged and returned home to the United States he married several times over the years but none of
them lasted during one of his early marriages ray had a son whom he named after himself David jr. his daughter
Glenda arrived a short time later and she was given the nickname Jesse after leaving the military ray soon moved to
Oklahoma where he attended a technical school to study aircraft mechanics later he moved to Albuquerque and then on to
Alaska where he worked fixing oil pipelines for a short period of time he continued to roam around before settling
in Elephant Butte in 1993 there ray owned a good reputation through his work as a mechanic for the state parks one
colleague described to David Parker ray as quote to needest cleanest Politis person you could ever
want to meet when Ray was arrested for kidnapping and assault his boss and co-workers had a
hard time believing the men they admired could be capable of the crimes for which
he was being accused Ray's boss was so convinced of his innocence that he even put ray on paid leave whilst he was
awaiting trial when Ray's sister Peggy spoke to authorities she was quicker to accept the
allegations admitting there were signs throughout Ray's life that supported the claims being made against him she
recorded a song during her youth when she stumbled upon Ray's collection of photographs and sketches which depicted
images of bondage and sadomasochism when Peggy confronted ray about the pictures
he confessed the only way he could enjoy sex was by inflicting pain on his partner ray was just 14 years old at the
time later in their lives Peggy received a phone call from Ray inquiring about the erectile dysfunction
drug by a girl he wanted to know if it could help him have a normal relationship one where he didn't have to
hurt others in order to obtain arousal despite these incidents Peggy defended her brother and drew issue with his
portrayal in the media as a monster ray son David oven spoke candidly to investigators about his relationship
with his father the two were not close David had been raised by his grandmother and had very little interaction with his
father over the years at the conclusion of his interview David Ervine was asked whether he would be willing to tell
authorities if his father made any sort of confession to him David broke down in
tears and answered that he didn't know if he could turn on his father and give incriminating information to
investigators although he couldn't provide intimate details about his father's life
David alerted investigators to a number of other places his father had lived that authorities weren't aware of his
Cindy Hendy z-- claims that David Baca rate was a prolific serial killer were true knowing his exact whereabouts over
the years was pivotal if there was any hope of finding his other alleged victims by now investigators were
convinced Cynthia veal was not raised only victim district attorney Ron Lopez told the
media quote it's one of those crime scenes that just gives you that feeling that there's something else out there
there's reasonable grounds to believe we may have other victims to be continued next week
[Music] you [Music]

Case 96: The Toy Box (Part 1)

[Part 1 of 3]

It was 3:22 pm on March 22 1999, when Sierra County’s 9-1-1 Emergency Central Dispatch received a call from a local residential number...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Victoria Dieffenbacher Additional editing – Milly Raso and Elsha McGill Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://www.casefilepodcast.com/case-96-the-toy-box-part-1

Brief Summary

Cynthia V. Hill escapes from her captors, revealing a horrific case of kidnapping and torture by David Parker Ray and Cindy Hendy.

Key points

The Disturbing Discovery. Officers find a blood-stained room with chains and devices, indicating a violent struggle.
Cynthia's Escape. Cynthia V. Hill escapes her captors and seeks help from a local couple.
Cynthia's Trauma. Cynthia reveals her harrowing experience of abduction and torture to the police.
The Arrest of David Parker Ray. Police apprehend David Parker Ray, a suspect in Cynthia's abduction, near the crime scene.
Cynthia's Abduction and Torture. Cynthia is abducted and subjected to horrific torture by her captors.
Cynthia's Escape. Cynthia seizes a moment to escape her captors after days of torture.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

That's when I saw all the chains on her and the blood.

Witness account of the naked woman running for help.

8:19WatchNov 20, 2018

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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