Federal, local authorities seeking information on New Mexico remains

DEXTER, Mo.-- Federal and Dexter authorities are seeking help from the public in identifying skeletal remains found in a shallow grave in New Mexico nearly 10 years ago.

The remains of a white female were found July 31, 1999, in a shallow grave off of Interstate 40 near Gallup, N.M., according to a news release from the FBI's Albuquerque Division.

The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator reports the woman was between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 7 inches tall and between 35 to 50 years of age. Her hair color reportedly was brown with gray mixed in.

The OMI believes the woman was deceased for about one to two years before the discovery of the remains.

"We received the case on Dec. 12, 2008," said Dexter police Detective Trevor Pulley. "We were contacted by the FBI about the three blue ribbons that were found with the remains ... because the blue ribbons said Dexter, Mo."

The ribbons reportedly originated from the Stoddard County Fair and were presented by the Association of Retarded Citizens in Stoddard County.

Writing on the back of one of the ribbons lead officers to the Association of Retarded Citizens, Pulley said. Officers, he said, contacted ARC officials to determine if the woman may have been a client.

Pulley said officers also have gone through all the fair board's records, as well as all the missing persons in the state, looking for anyone who meets the criteria of the individual provided by the New Mexico authorities.

Pulley said officers now are looking into the carnival, which worked the fair in 1999, and the different booths set up at the fair that year in an attempt to track them down.

Pulley said there were signs of blunt force trauma, leading authorities to believe the woman's death is a homicide.

Forensic drawings based on two-dimensional facial reconstruction were made by Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department forensic artist Detective Mary Brazas.

Anyone with information about the woman's identity is asked to contact Pulley at 573-624-5512, FBI Albuquerque Special Agent Diana Parker at 505-889-1542 or New Mexico OMI investigator Terry Coker at 505-272-3053.