The Pintada Kid on the Case: Part 2, Las Cuevas

Some think that the missing tourists stayed at the hotel in Vaughn, New Mexico before they disappeared

Two postcards among all that evidence convince Rhoades [Agent Norman Rhoades of the New Mexico State Police] that the couples left the little town of Vaughn, where they had spent the night at the Vaughn Hotel, early in the morning on May 22 and headed toward Albuquerque.

Leslie Linthicum, Albuquerque Journal, 6/24/10

The Pintada Kid continues the story of his investigation into the Heberer Lorius case, in his own words. For a list of the entire series, click on the Pintada Kid on the Case tab at the top of the page.

The Heberer Lorius people disappeared around the time the New Mexico State Police were getting started in New Mexico, according to my brother-in-law, who also said the FBI and the State Police were competing against each other and withholding evidence and so the case was bungled and no one solved it.

My brother-in-law knew everyone who was anyone in New Mexico and everyone knew him back in the 1950s into the 80s. I was a Pallbearer for his funeral. I was also a pallbearer for both the funerals of my friends who told me about the kids and the skeletons.

Before they died I asked my friends, who I hadn't seen in years, for better directions to where the skeletons were. I also asked them if they had heard of the Heberer Lorius case. They said they had heard of that great mystery and when I asked them if they thought the skeletons might be these people, they both agreed that there was a good chance the Heberer Lorius people were the skeletons.

My two friends, [a married couple], were very religious and loved treasure hunting and had all kinds of stories from all around the area. She told me about being in a certain Ghost Town years ago and how when she walked over a certain area she would get this eerie feeling and on digging into the ground there found a set of China a foot down. These people would lend me all kinds of Treasure Hunting Magazines in boxes to read about the True West. Some of those stories still stick in my mind today and they have inspired me even more with the love of the mountains and their mysteries. 

Her Husband was a very good Mechanic. He was working on an airplane and invited me to fly with him over an area where he said there was a big treasure hidden that some people had asked him to look into. From the Air and flying close to the ground there are adobe and rock ruins everywhere, especially along the rivers.  To me, the weirdest feeling in a small airplane is flying close to the ground and then having the ground go out from under you when you go over the end of a big Mesa or Canyon. 

We used to go out and sometimes camp out and test all different brands of Metal detectors to see which were better. My Preference was the White Classic 3; it was light and could detect down pretty good. The heavier models are the better ones but they wear you out after an hour or two.

I asked my friend for better directions to where the skeletons might be.  He said he had been to the place only once with his friend but didn't try to go into the area to where the skeletons were, because it was very rough to get into. My friend told me some very Specific directions this time and I knew almost exactly which mountain he was talking about because I had been there before without realizing how close I had been to the Heberer Lorius people.  It was an area the Old People called LAS CUEVAS.

~El Pintada Kid

The Kid's story will continue on Friday, after Thursday's Skywatch post