Casefile True Crime - Case 96: The Toy Box (Part 2)

Episode Date: September 29, 2018

[Part 2 of 3] As the investigation into David Parker Ray’s alleged crimes continued, an officer recalled a past encounter with a hitchhiker that he believed could be connected. When the woman finally comes forward to report her story, the true extent of Parker Ray’s crimes becomes clear. What’s more, it becomes apparent that he didn’t act alone. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Episode researched and written by Victoria Dieffenbacher Additional editing by Milly Raso and Elsha McGill For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-96-the-toy-box-part-2

Have you ever tried BBQ on BBQ? Picture this. Freshly prepared crispy seasoned chicken that's tossed in a smoky BBQ glaze and topped with a creamy BBQ sauce. Can't picture it? Well you can try it now at Tim's. Get our new BBQ crispy chicken loaded bowls and wraps for a limited time. Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local Crisis Centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. Stretching over 1,000 miles north to south, highway Interstate 25 serves as the main route through Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. The New Mexico portion of Interstate 25 runs through arid desert landscape, from looming mountain ranges to sand swept cracked plains of wild grass and dried brush. This desolate landscape doesn't often march in terms of excitement and drives can be long and uneventful. Yet, every so often, a bustling cityscape emerges on the expansive horizon, with the highway providing a gateway to cities like Albuquerque and CNFA. At its southernmost point, the highway begins in the New Mexico City of Los Cruces. After just over an hour's drive northward, the road curls around the western edge of Truth or Consequences, a desert city bordering the Rio Grande River. Truth or Consequences earned its unique name after winning a competition with a popular radio quiz show in 1950. The two risen brochures for Truth or Consequences touts the one road desert town as being only 120 miles north of El Paso and 150 miles south of Albuquerque. In other words, it is quite literally in the middle of nowhere. Home to a year-round population of around 6,000 people, Truth or Consequences attracts those who prefer the vast isolation of the surrounding desert to living in the shadows of skyscrapers.

Residents live in mismatched bungalows, mobile homes, or ranch-style houses on sun-baked lots. The small downtown area offers a selection of restaurants, lodging, dive bars, and access to the ancient hot springs that the town is renowned for. Further north, the highway runs parallel to Truth or Consequences neighboring community, Elephant Butte. About 5 miles separates the two townships, with Elephant Butte being the smaller, quieter, and less populated of the pair. Elephant Butte residents travel into Truth or Consequences when requiring services only available within the larger city. Occasionally, Truth or Consequences folk head up to Elephant Butte to visit the lake. On February 21, 1999, off-duty Sheriff's Deputy Gary Labor was heading north along Interstate 25. As he drove outside Truth or Consequences, Labor caught sight of a hitchhiker on the side of the road.

The young woman motioned for him to pull over. Always willing to offer rides to those in need, Labor rolled his car to a stop alongside her. The hitchhiker introduced herself as Angelica Montagno, and she requested a ride 150 miles north to the city of Albuquerque. Labor was heading in that direction, so he agreed to drop the woman off at her destination. The journey to Albuquerque would take about two hours. As the pair started cruising along the highway, Angelica initiated some small talk by casually remarking, You wouldn't believe what just happened to me. Deputy Labor asked her what happened.

Angelica replied, I was just kidnapped by a couple. They held me in their house for a few days, raped me, tortured me, and then let me go just now on the highway. Angelica went on to explain her encounter in more detail. Her story began with her abduction days prior, and led to descriptions of extreme sexual torture. The laid-back ease in which Angelica recounted her ordeal was surreal to Deputy Gary Labor. It was as though she was casually retelling a rather uneventful experience. Despite the distressing content of her story, Angelica showed no behavioral signs of trauma, which struck Labor as odd.

Keeping his opinions to himself, Labor offered to take Angelica to a police station so she could make a formal report on the matter. However, Angelica refused to go anywhere near a police station and showed no desire of reporting the incident. Given her relaxed demeanor and refusal to speak to authorities, Labor considered whether the woman was lying, perhaps to make the car ride more interesting. He didn't press the matter, and the topic was dropped. Once they arrived in Albuquerque, Labor let Angelica out at a bus stop and bid her farewell. Although noting the experience as bizarre, he didn't give it any more thought, and soon details of the encounter completely slipped from his mind. Just over a month later, Cynthia Ville's harrowing escape from David Parker Ray's House of Horrors was dominating national media. Reports of potentially dozens of women being held captive on a suburban property within the sleepy township of Elephant Butte was unlike anything anyone had ever heard before.

Except for Deputy Gary Labor. When he heard the news, memories returned of the hitchhiker he picked up on Interstate 25 from outside truth or consequences a month earlier. Her story of abduction and torture bore striking similarities to the one told by Cynthia Ville. Now convinced the hitchhiker had been telling the truth, Labor contacted the investigators who were overseeing the David Parker Ray case and reported his interactions with the woman. Investigators were convinced Labor had inadvertently crossed paths with another one of David Parker Ray's victims. Yet complicating the matter was Labor's inability to recall the woman's name. Despite this, the details of her suffering was something he could never forget. Around the same time that Gary Labor came forward with his story about the hitchhiker, investigators were contacted by a resident of Hot Springs Landing who lived near David Parker Ray's Bass Road home.

The man claimed to have important information related to the case and agreed to participate in a formal interview. His name was John Brunner and he arrived to the police station accompanied by his wife Jean Brunner. The couple were acquaintances of Cindy Handy, David Parker Ray's partner and co-accused. The Brunners met Handy when she first arrived in town in the summer of 97. Upon her arrival, Handy had stayed in a motel managed by Jean Brunner and Jean took Handy under her wing. The women became friends and Handy would visit the Brunner's house often. The Brunners lived only eight blocks away from David Parker Ray, so after Cindy Handy moved in with Ray, the Brunners saw her more frequently. During these visits, Handy revealed a lot of intimate details about her relationship with Ray, some of which were so shocking they were hard to believe.

During one of her recent visits to John and Jean's house, an intoxicated Handy divulged a disturbing story about her boyfriend. Handy revealed David Parker Ray had abducted and sexually tortured a woman in his trailer, holding her captive for several days. Ray struck a deal with his prisoner, agreeing to release her on one condition, that she never spoke of what happened. Ray and Handy dropped her off on the side of Highway Interstate 25, just outside the neighbouring city of Truth or Consequences. Handy referred to the woman as Angela. The Brunners brushed off Handy's drunken story as just that, a story, as Handy had a reputation for saying outrageous things purely for the shock value. Consequently, the Brunners never considered speaking to police about what Handy had told them. It wasn't until they heard news of Cynthia V who was escaped from David Parker Ray's property that the couple suspected Handy's story about Angela could in fact be true.

The Brunners weren't actually the first to mention this story. After Cindy Handy's arrest, she told police about Angela, a victim Ray had left on the side of a highway back in February. Between Deputy Gary Labor, the Brunners and Cindy Handy, it appeared all of them were referring to the same woman. By piecing these stories together, investigators gathered that Ray and Handy had abducted Angela in February and held her captive for several days before releasing her on Interstate 25, where she was picked up by Deputy Gary Labor and left in Albuquerque. Then later, Handy drunkenly confessed to the Brunners about what she and Ray had done. Investigators were certain Angela existed and could only hold out hope she would come forward and make a report. But for Angelica Montagno, she readily dismissed the thought of going to the police. Since her ordeal at the hands of David Parker Ray and Cindy Handy, Angelica had been living in constant fear.

Considering herself lucky to have even survived, Angelica made an abrupt move to Albuquerque on the day of her release, leaving her life in truth or consequences behind. She hoped creating distance between herself and her captors would stop them from coming after her again. Angelica had already broken her promise to remain silent, twice. First, she spoke of her captivity to the man she hitched a ride from to Albuquerque, and then again to a close friend when she arrived in town. Fearing what Ray would do to her if he found out she broke her part of the deal, Angelica decided not to make matters worse by reporting the incident to authorities. A month later, Angelica's friend heard of the arrests of David Parker Ray and Cindy Handy, and convinced Angelica it was now safe for her to return to Welliff & Butte and report her abduction to police. It was shortly before 3pm on March 27, when investigators combing David Parker Ray's house noticed a car pull up to the roadblock outside. A woman emerged, introducing herself as Angelica Montagno.

In the early months of 1999, 27-year-old Angelica Montagno was living with her partner and young son in truth or consequences. On February 17, Angelica made a trip to the local shops to purchase ingredients to bake a cake for her boyfriend. Whilst Angelica walked along the main strip of town, a motorhome pulled up beside her. Looking up at the vehicle, she saw Cindy Handy through the passenger side window. The two women already knew each other. They weren't close, but they moved in the same social circles and had crossed paths several times before. As the pair exchanged small talk, Angelica mentioned she was out buying ingredients for a cake. Handy suddenly perked up, offering to give Angelica some spare cake mix she had at her friend David's place. In this moment, Handy introduced Angelica to David Parker Ray, who was watching the exchange from the driver's suit.

Angelica eagerly accepted a ride to retrieve the cake mix and climbed into the motorhome. After a short, quiet drive, they pulled up to the front of Ray's house on Bass Road and the trio went inside. Angelica waited expectantly for the cake mix Handy had promised her. Out of nowhere, Ray produced a large knife and pointed it towards Angelica, threatening to kill her if she didn't do what she was told. Handy stood beside Ray, not saying a word. Angelica burst out laughing, assuming the couple were pulling some sort of twisted prank. Her reaction infuriated Ray, who punched Angelica in the face, causing her to falter. When she regained her composure, Handy was pointing a revolver at her.

Angelica then realized this was no joke. Ray and Handy ordered Angelica to strip naked. Terrified, she did as she was told. They then restrained her hands and feet to a bed in the living room before clamping a metal collar around her neck, which Ray referred to as a dog collar. Once Angelica was shackled, Ray force-fed her an orange-colored pill and made her wash it down with hard liquor. The pill was supposed to have a dizzying effect that would impact Angelica's ability to later recall what was about to happen to her. However, the pill didn't have the desired reaction, and Angelica remembered everything. Ray walked over to a cassette player and pressed the play button.

The sound of his voice emanated from the audio tape inside. Completely restrained, Angelica could do nothing else but listen. She later recalled hearing, quote, I bet you're scared, and we're gonna play with you for a while. Things only got worse from there. Over the next five days, Ray and Handy held Angelica prisoner at the house on 513 Bass Road, where she was repeatedly tortured and assaulted in a manner that held striking similarities to the ordeal Cynthia V. Hill had endured. During this time, Angelica recalled being taken into Ray's toy box, twice. At one stage, Angelica heard Ray and Handy debating over ways in which they could get rid of her. Ray proposed two options.

The first was to inject Angelica with a solution of potent drugs that would blank out her memory so she would forget what happened. His second option was to kill her. When Angelica overheard her captors discussing ways to dispose of her body, the very real possibility that she might die soon propelled her into survival mode. Restrained and exhausted, Angelica didn't have the strength to fight back, and a new doing so would only anger her captors. So she came up with a different plan. With great effort, Angelica internalized all her overwhelming fear and anger, masking it from her captors. She then attempted to befriend Ray and Handy, hoping that by doing so, Ray would be less likely to kill her. As the couple continued to torture and abuse Angelica, she pretended to be a willing participant.

Later telling investigators the only way she thought she would survive was to, quote, play along. Angelica's deception worked. As Ray and Handy were making the final decision about what to do with their prisoner, Handy appeared to have had a change of heart, telling Ray that it wouldn't feel right to kill her. Upon realizing she had successfully fooled Ray and Handy into trusting her, Angelica persuaded them to let her go home to see her son. Ray responded, quote, If I'd known you were this nice, I wouldn't have kidnapped you in the first place. Ray agreed to release Angelica as long as she promised not to speak to anyone about what had happened. Desperate to get away from the property and her captors, Angelica agreed.

On February 21, 1999, five days after her abduction, David Parker Ray and Cindy Handy left Angelica Montagno on the side of Interstate 25. Despite Handy referring to her prisoner as Angelica, it was clear she was misnaming Angelica, as when Deputy Gary Labor was later shown a photograph of Angelica Montagno, he confirmed she was the hitchhiker he had picked up and taken to Albuquerque. With the discovery of a second survivor, the sordid life of David Parker Ray became a media obsession, and their presence in Elephant Butte quickly overwhelmed the small town. They saw the answers to the perplexing question of how such horrific crimes could have occurred right under the noses of the local community, without anyone suspecting a thing. Ray's property on Bass Road was not hidden in the wilderness, nor tucked away in an isolated area of the desert. It sat on a half-acre suburban block with neighbors on all sides. Parked at the rear of the property was Ray's infamous toy box trailer, sitting in plain sight of passersby. But Elephant Butte's locals could often know answers.

The mayor of Elephant Butte, Bob Barnes, would later express his shock at the situation, speaking of how the case had simply crashed in on them and left the town feeling violated. To locals, Ray and Handy carried themselves like any normal couple, and raised absolutely no suspicions. David Parker Ray was regarded as clean-cut and intelligent, a simple man who lived a routine life. On weekdays, he'd stop by the same gas station to purchase donuts and lunch supplies with his state park's coworkers. During these visits, the station's manager would give Ray free coffee. When images of a handcuffed Ray being led away by police flashed across television screens, friends and neighbors felt they were looking at a monster they didn't recognize. Like her partner, Cindy Handy also came across as ordinary.

She was an avid reader who enjoyed Romeo's novels, Christian radio stations, and adored her small dog named Rat. According to those who knew her, Handy had become noticeably happier since moving in with Ray, which they attributed to love. One of the more candid insights into Cindy Handy's real character came from her longtime acquaintance, John Brunner. In an interview with Albuquerque television news station, K.O.B.TV, Brunner repeated many of the same stories about Handy that he had told police during previous interviews, including the time Handy drunkenly confessed to him that David Parker Ray was responsible for hundreds of deaths. Handy allegedly stated, quote, I've always been interested in serial killer magazines, and now I'm living with one. Handy admitted to John Brunner that she didn't have a problem with her partner's crimes, as she herself, quote, got off on the pain.

Handy also bragged about her participation in the abduction and torture of Ray's victims, revealing that she did it for the adrenaline rush. Furthermore, Brunner spoke of the time Handy complained of a blood stain on her floor that she couldn't scrub away. She said it was the result of Ray shooting a man in the head. John Brunner concluded his interview with reporters by revealing one last thing Cindy Handy had once told him, that over the years, David Parker Ray had disposed of upwards of seven bodies in Elephant Butte Lake. According to Handy, Ray went to great lengths to ensure the bodies wouldn't have any buoyancy, cutting them open, filling them with rocks, and binding them back together with chicken wire. This act guaranteed the bodies sunk into the watery depths and wouldn't float back up to the surface.

Due to its close proximity to Ray's property, Elephant Butte Lake was already an area of interest in the search for his potential victims. But the problem facing investigators was the sheer size of the lake. Its surface spread over 36,000 acres and at its deepest point had a depth upwards of 165 feet. Without information to help them refine the search to a specific area, the only option was to clear the entire lake, which was an overly ambitious ask, far easier said than done. Although investigators wouldn't completely rule out a search of the lake, they were adamant it was not going to happen in the immediate future. Meanwhile, the extensive search of David Parker Ray's Bass Road property continued.

Yellow police tape framed the outskirts to keep camping media at bay, and blue tarps were hung around the double-wired mobile home to block the scene from curious onlookers. 20 New Mexico state police officers and 30 FBI agents in sterile jumpsuits and latex gloves sifted through the homestead, filling two large vans with evidence taken from the scene. Items confiscated from Ray's property included a range of weapons, torture devices and objects related to bondage and dominance. Searches of Ray's workplace and Dodgeram work truck revealed a variety of police-related items he allegedly used to conduct some of his abductions, including badges, a portable emergency light, a batten and a piece of paper listing numerous common laws. Investigators refused to publicly detail the specifics of items taken from Ray's property.

After Darren White from the Department of Public Safety visited the crime scene, he told reporters, quote, when we witnessed firsthand the evidence of the scene, it literally made my stomach turn. This is very disturbing stuff. White later added that the more information authorities uncovered in relation to the case, the more vile it became. A major breakthrough came on March 30 in the form of a video cassette tape found in Ray's toy box. The tape contained footage of a woman who was strapped to the gynecological chair in Ray's trailer. Although the footage was grainy, it appeared the woman was being held bare against her will. Her face was completely bound in duct tape.

She kept making attempts to cover up her naked body, and her movement was sluggish as though she were drugged. Due to the poor quality of the film and the fact that the woman's face was covered, it was impossible to immediately identify her. One thing was clear, it was neither Cynthia Ville or Angelica Montagno, but an unknown third woman. Her only distinguishing feature was a tattoo of a swan on her leg, which was done in a tribal design. Believing this woman could be yet another victim of David Parker Ray, investigators released an image of her distinctive swan tattoo through the media, hoping she would be identified and come forward. In the meantime, little red flags were being erected throughout Ray's yard, leading media to speculate they indicated areas of interest for a soon to be conducted dig for human remains. Propelling this speculation was an anonymous tip off to the press, which confirmed that bones had indeed been found on David Parker Ray's property and were currently being examined. Yet, tests were quick to determine that these bones belonged to a small animal, likely food scraps Ray had given to his pet dogs.

Although no human remains had so far been discovered at the property or anywhere else, reporters held little doubt that David Parker Ray was being viewed by investigators as a potential serial killer. During a news conference, an FBI spokesperson told reporters, quote, We are not going to rule out more victims. We are not going to rule out the possibility that this case involves homicides. We have not discovered any bodies in this case. We have received information from people on the possibility of other victims, and we are following up that information right now. On March 30, eight days after their arrest, additional charges were filed against David Parker Ray and Cindy Handy in relation to their second alleged victim, Angelica Montagno. Both accused now faced 25 charges in total, with bail remaining at the insurmountable amount of $1 million cash. Both attorneys for the accused publicly declared their clients innocent and stated that they were ready to go to trial. That night, investigators held a town meeting for locals and visiting media, which dispelled many widespread rumours circulating about the case, including one that claimed bodies had been retrieved from Elephant Butte Lake.

An announcement was made revealing that 40 more FBI agents would be joining the investigation, bringing the total number of active law enforcement officials on the case up to 100. This action was highly unusual, as the suspects were already detained. Typically, the number of investigators decreased once suspects were in custody. During the meeting, locals expressed their concerns, saying they felt as though they were living in a nightmare. Department of Public Safety Secretary Darren White responded, quote, The nightmare is behind bars. This is a safe community. At 10 a.m. on March 31, the long-awaited dig at 513 Bass Road commenced. Shovels and metal detectors were used, along with ground-penetrating equipment that sensed if any particular spot of earth had recently been disturbed. Although investigators wouldn't confirm to the press what they were digging for, spectators assumed it could only be one thing.

Bodies. Digging occurred in three main areas, beside the house, towards the middle of the lot, and at the rear of the property near the Chainlink Fence that surrounded the home. A long day of digging failed to yield any significant discoveries. The following day, a cadaver dog from the Los Alamos Mountain Canine Corps named Guinness was brought to the crime scene. Guinness was placed in the yard for an extended period of time, but he too failed to detect any human remains. As this initial dig wrapped up, the FBI announced they weren't ruling out the possibility of conducting a major excavation of the property in the future. However, based on a lack of finding so far, they were confident there were no bodies buried on David Parker Ray's property. At the same time, the search inside Ray's home was also reaching its conclusion.

All up, a total of 1,000 pieces of evidence had been seized. This included David Parker Ray's toy box. The 25-foot-long trailer was carefully placed onto a flatbed truck, secured, and taken with all other evidence to a crime lab in Albuquerque. Have you ever tried barbecue on barbecue? Picture this. Freshly prepared, crispy seasoned chicken that's tossed in a smoky barbecue glaze and topped with a creamy barbecue sauce. Can't picture it? Well, you can try it now at Tim's. Get our new barbecue crispy chicken loaded bowls and wraps for a limited time. Combine two of the most popular ingredients to fight the pain in uncompromising practice. The ibuprofen targets pain at the source, and the acetaminophen blocks the signs of pain, bringing a quick and effective relief of pain up to 8 hours. Conquer the headlines quickly, thanks to the anti-painting relief relief to double the action of the new AdVille Plus acetaminophen, now available in Canada. After being seized from David Parker Ray's property, investigators still had no proof he was guilty of any alleged crimes.

They didn't doubt the accounts given by Cynthia Ville or Angelica Montagno, but to go to trial with only circumstantial evidence was a huge risk. The footage found in the toy box of the unknown woman with the swan tattoo added validity to the two survivors' claims. Yet, until she was identified and her ordeal was known, Ray's defense could shape the narrative and argue she was a consenting party. Additionally, as the search for human remains had failed so far, Cindy's handy stories about Ray's alleged murders were nothing more than hearsay. With few remaining avenues left for investigation, authorities were desperate. Hoping to get a more deeming testimony from her, on April 6, the prosecution offered Cindy Handy a plea deal. In exchange for information on David Parker Ray, her 25 charges would reduce to just five. One count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, two counts of accessory to kidnapping, and two counts of accessory to criminal sexual penetration.

This would more than half Handy's potential prison term of 100 years. Handy accepted the plea deal. During subsequent interrogations, she offered further details on David Parker Ray's life and named several persons of interest. One name immediately stuck out to investigators, as it wasn't the first time Handy had mentioned it to them. Dennis Roy Yancy. She described Yancy as a close friend of David Parker Ray, as the two shared similar interests. 27-year-old Dennis Roy Yancy lived a transient life, hopping from one friend's couch to the next. When friends had enough of him, cheap motels were Yancy's backup, and his last resort was his parents' place.

Every so often, Dennis Roy Yancy was drawn back to his childhood town of truth or consequences. It was never good news when Yancy reappeared in town. Locals regarded him as a violent criminal, a reputation he'd maintained since his teens. He was arrested for the first time at age 16, when he and two others broke into a house and stole a computer and stereo. Not long after, Yancy formed a satanic cult with friends. The group terrorized the local residents by vandalizing gravestones and poisoning small pets, when they threatened to start killing children. Local officials canceled all Halloween festivities in town to pacify concerned parents. Years later, Yancy served in the United States Navy for a brief period of time, but his service ended in a dishonorable discharge.

Even Yancy's friends were wary of his behavior. Many felt on edge around him. It was well known that Yancy had a temper, and when he drank alcohol, which was often, his anger worsened. Violent outbursts would follow where anyone could be a target. His rap sheet included convictions for domestic violence and rape. A friend also recalled Yancy saying he could kill somebody and not blink an eye. Yancy's interest in satanism wasn't just a passing phase during his troubled youth. He carried his faith in devil worship into his adult life, which led him at 18 years old to form a friendship with a fellow believer, David Parker Ray. Both Dennis Roy Yancy and David Parker Ray were followers of the Church of Satan.

Members view Satan as a positive archetype, representing pride, liberty, enlightenment and individuality. Although not supported by the Church, objectionable acts such as worshiping evil forces, animal or human sacrifice, cannibalism, torture and dark arts have been associated with some believers. David Parker Ray's home was littered with satanic memorabilia, and he referred to his home as the Church of Satan. According to Cindy Hendy, Ray touted himself as a dungeon master of the local chapter of the Church. She alluded that he used his position to manipulate, control and torment others, including Dennis Roy Yancy, who she described as a, quote, hardcore satanic follower of Ray. It wasn't just their mutual interest in satanism that drew Dennis Roy Yancy and David Parker Ray to one another. Like Ray, Yancy was a sadist, someone who derived pleasure from others' pain or humiliation. A school friend recalled Yancy's vivid stories of his time as a naval officer stationed in the Philippines, where he'd pick up local sex workers and use them to act out his sadomasochistic fantasies.

As their friendship blossomed, Yancy would stay at Ray's bus road home whenever he was in town. During one such visit, Ray discovered he and Yancy shared a sexual interest in bondage. Whilst Yancy skimmed through a pornographic magazine, Ray pointed the pages featuring pictures of bound and gagged women. Bragging that he and an ex-wife had experimented with bondage, Ray showed Yancy photographs he had taken of a completely restrained woman. Yancy had never met any of Ray's ex-wives, therefore he couldn't confirm the identity of the woman in Ray's photography collection. Investigators believed she was more than likely one of Ray's captives, as he was known to take pictures of the women he had abducted whilst he tortured them. This theory was substantiated when investigators questioned Ray's ex-wives, of which he had several, who all denied participating in acts of bondage with Ray. Knowing that Yancy was a fellow sadomasochist, Ray gave him a tour of the inside of his toy box.

Like a teacher educating an eager pupil, he explained how each of his different devices and instruments worked, including how to use nipple clamps and administer electric shocks. Soon, Yancy and Ray's friendship involved entertaining their two mutual interests, Satanism and Sadism. The pair engaged the services of sex workers to participate in consensual acts involving bondage and sadomasochism. Some of these instances occurred within Ray's toy box. Later, when Cindy Hendy came on the scene, the three would participate in such sex acts together. In describing Yancy's overt devotion to his master Ray, Cindy Hendy proceeded to make serious allegations implicating both men in a murder. Hendy alleged that Yancy and Ray once held Yancy's ex-wife captive at 513 Bass Road. After days of torturing and sexually assaulting the woman, Ray ordered Yancy to kill her.

As Yancy strangled his ex-wife to death, Ray stood in a corner taking photographs. Afterwards, the men bundled the woman's body into Ray's car and drove out into the desert. During the trip, Yancy continued to violate his ex-wife's body. Eventually, they reached a suitably isolated location where the pair disposed of the body, taking extra care to ensure that it wouldn't be found. In the following days, Yancy got drunk and was in such a state of euphoria that Ray grew increasingly concerned that his young accomplice would tell someone about what they had done, or worse still, reveal the location of the body. Unbeknownst to Yancy, a week after the murder, Ray returned to the spot where they had left the body and moved it to a different location. Although Ray later told Cindy Hendy of having relocated the body, he didn't specify exactly where. Cindy Hendy claimed this murder took place years before she even met David Parker Ray, and she only knew about it because he bragged about it to her.

Although incriminating, it was immediately clear the accusations made by Cindy Hendy against Dennis Roy Yancy for the murder of his ex-wife didn't hold up. A quick background check by investigators uncovered that Yancy had never been divorced and thus never could have had an ex-wife. He was currently married to a woman named Christina, who investigators found alive and well. In another blow to Hendy's story, Christina defended her husband, denying claims Yancy was a sexual sadist. She insisted he had never shown an interest in what she described as, quote, deviant sexual behavior. Christina didn't deny her husband's friendship with David Parker Ray, recalling several instances where Yancy took her to visit 513 Bass Road. The first was on their wedding day in September 1997. The newlyweds were heading to Elephant Butte Lake when Yancy made a brief stop at Ray's house on the way.

During another visit, Christina's three-year-old child was playing in Ray's yard and wandered in the direction of a large white trailer towards the rear of the property. Ray quickly stopped the child and warned Christina that they could never go back there. Christina respected Ray's demand, but noted it as odd. Christina further revealed that during a brief separation with her husband in 1998, Yancy had commenced a sexual relationship with Cindy Hendy. When Christina and Yancy got back together, he confessed that the pleasure Hendy found in violent sex acts had made him uncomfortable. Christina also noticed her husband had developed an emotional drinking habit during this time. Investigators tracked Dennis Roy Yancy to an address in Williamsburg, a small village on the western edge of truth or consequences. He was a fairly unremarkable man of lean build with sharp cheekbones and a head of dark hair.

He agreed to be interviewed about the David Parker Ray case, but information gained amounted to very little. Yancy admitted he participated in consensual sex acts with Ray and Cindy Hendy. He also revealed that Ray would occasionally invite sex workers who specialised in bondage and sadomasochism to join them in the toy box. During one trip to obtain the services of a sex worker, Ray expressed an interest in abducting an unwilling participant to truly fulfil their sadomasochistic desires. But Yancy assured investigators they never acted out on the idea. Yancy firmly denied the accusation that he had strangled a woman to death in Ray's toy box. He insisted that all sex acts done inside the trailer involved consenting and willing parties. He strongly rejected Cindy Hendy's claims that a murder had ever taken place.

Undeterred by Yancy's denial, Hendy stood by her claim that he was a murderer. Inquiries continued, but without evidence, investigators couldn't even be sure a murder had even taken place. They were dealing with two unreliable parties, locked in a case of he said, she said. On the afternoon of April 9, 1999, police held their third interview with Dennis Roy Yancy in an interrogation room at the Truth or Consequences State Police Office. At 1.30pm, Yancy was seated before FBI Special Agent Gary Broden and Sergeant Casey Rogers from the New Mexico State Police. Rogers had been on the David Parker Ray case since the beginning. He had entered and searched the infamous toy box torture chamber, observed the confronting evidence collected from Ray's home, and listened to the disturbing details about the heinous crimes he'd committed. Further adding to the sheer horror of the case was the knowledge Ray had accomplices.

Criminal couples were not unheard of, therefore, Hendy's involvement, though shocking, was not unique. It was Dennis Roy Yancy's alleged involvement that stuck out as particularly concerning. If what Hendy said was true, Ray had roped a complete outsider in on his despicable acts. It was yet to be determined if that was an indictment on Ray or Yancy. Rogers desperately wanted justice for the victims, but every new breakthrough in the case had so far led to a massive roadblock. In Yancy's third interview, Investigator's line of questioning centered around a detail Cindy Hendy had mentioned in one of her statements. She alleged that when Yancy strangled the woman to death in the toy box, the victim lost control of her bodily functions. Investigators told Yancy they intended to test the floor of the trailer for DNA to determine if what Hendy said was true.

Yancy continued to deny any involvement. Sergeant Rogers was nearly at his wits end. He looked at Yancy straight in the eye and said they could obtain DNA from all kinds of sources. Like that poor woman who lost control of her bodily functions and pissed on the floor when you were sitting on her chest choking the life out of her. Rogers' blunt comment seemed to switch something inside of Yancy's mind. He snapped back, quote. I was forced to do it. They made me strangle her. Stunned by Yancy's sudden confession, Rogers pressed for more information, but a panic to Yancy just kept repeating, quote.

I was forced into doing it. I didn't want to choke her. After calming down, Yancy asked for a lawyer, but quickly changed his mind and instead offered a full confession. Sergeant Rogers asked, why don't you start with who it was that you had in David Parker Ray's house? Who was it that you all killed? Without hesitation, Yancy replied, Marie Parker Marie Parker was a 22-year-old single mother of two. She and Dennis Roy Yancy had been a couple back in 1993, but their relationship wasn't healthy. At one point, Marie confided to her neighbor that Yancy had raped her. Marie told others of a growing fear she had of her boyfriend, remarking that she no longer felt safe being in the same room with him unless another person was present.

The relationship ended after Marie reported Yancy for domestic violence, a charge that led to a conviction. Years later, around the end of June 1997, Marie was evicted from her apartment for failing to pay rent. She had since been living in a tent on the western shoreline of Elephant Butte Lake, behind the suburban estate of Hot Springs Landing. To ensure her two young daughters had a warm bed and a roof over their heads, Marie sent them to stay with people she trusted until she got back on her feet. On the morning of July 5, 1997, Marie took her daughters to the local swimming pool and spent the day with her brother and a friend. That afternoon, she dropped her daughters off at a friend's house before heading back to her lakeside tent. At around 5pm, Marie left the camp in her 1993 Geo Metro car and drove to the Blue Waters Saloon, the local watering hole in Elephant Butte. Her night was spent drinking and dancing with friends.

Shortly before midnight, Marie mentioned to others that she had to go and check on her daughters, but would return to the bar later. Yet, by the time the bar had closed, Marie was nowhere to be seen. Assuming Marie was with her daughters, her friends were startled to spot her car in the saloon's parking lot. Mildly concerned about her whereabouts, the group drove around town looking for Marie until 2am, but found no sign of her. By the following morning, Marie still hadn't reappeared. Her brother checked her campsite by Elephant Butte Lake and discovered that Marie's belongings were gone. Over the following days, her car remained in the parking lot of the Blue Waters Saloon and no one saw Marie come or go. The car doors were unlocked and Marie's purse was left between the two front seats.

Her most recent paycheck was unclaimed at the convenience store where she worked. When Marie still hadn't shown up by July 7, her family reported her missing. A police officer attempted to locate Marie. During their investigations, they learnt she was known to occasionally use an alias, Angel Morrison. Marie also had a history of suffering from suicidal thoughts. Based on this information, police believed Marie Parker had either taken her own life or left town for good under her alias. Although, the investigation ended without evidence to prove either theory, so Marie Parker's missing persons file remained open. Throughout the following weeks, months and years, Marie's family refused to give up and continued to search for her.

During a telephone interview with the press, Marie's mother stated, quote, I have been searching and searching for two years. I've got her on almost every prayer chain in the entire United States. Two years is a hell of a long time to go without your friend, your daughter, your blood. On April 9, 1999, almost two years after Marie Parker disappeared, Dennis Roy Yancey finally revealed the truth about what really happened to his ex-girlfriend. Living and working in Albuquerque at the time, Yancey was surprised when his estranged father, Martin, contacted him and suggested they take a road trip together to get reacquainted. Martin was a paraplegic Vietnam war veteran who had since taken up painting. He planned to fund their trip by selling his artwork along the way. Feeling like he was going nowhere in his current job, Yancey agreed to join his father on the road.

He had just one request, that they take a detour and make a short stop off in Elephant Butte. Yancey explained he had some stuff he wanted to pick up from a friend's house and also wanted to stop by to wish his sister a happy birthday as she lived in the area. Martin agreed. After the 150-mile drive south, Yancey, in the company of his father, went to visit his old friend, David Parker Ray. As it was the 4th of July weekend, accommodation options were limited in Elephant Butte as the town was busy with tourists spending the holiday celebrating at the lake. As such, Ray happily invited his visitors to stay at his house. Dennis Roy Yancey spent Saturday, July 5 drinking steadily at Ray's place until he felt buzzed. Later that night, a visitor arrived to 513 Bass Road. It was David Parker Ray's 30-year-old daughter, Glenda Jean Ray, better known by her nickname, Chessie.

Drugs were a major problem in both Elephant Butte and its neighbouring town, truth or consequences. Due to their rural locations, the towns tended to attract drifters living foul of the law or others wanting to outrun their own troubled pasts. Local drug dealers were always ready and willing to make a quick buck of the most vulnerable members in the community. One such dealer was Chessie Ray. She sold crystal meth, cocaine and marijuana to anyone who asked. Chessie was easily recognisable around the town. Her presence was often forewarned by the grumble of her motorcycle as it cruised down the main streets. The motorcycle didn't quite suit Chessie, a thin blonde-haired woman with aviator-style reading glasses described as quiet and reserved. In much the same way, she stood out at her local haunt, a divey rock-and-roll biker bar in town. But to those who knew her well, Chessie was far from the meek young woman she appeared.

She carried a powerful presence which hit a violent streak that would emerge when provoked. Ex-girlfriends had reported her for incidents of domestic violence, but no charges were ever laid. In one incident, she attacked her ex-partner's new girlfriend with pepper spray after Chessie was asked to leave their house. Although she had deep roots in the Elephant Butte community, it wasn't so much a home for Chessie Ray. She moved around often and switched jobs constantly while operating under different aliases, Linda, Brenda or Sissy. Her employment history included stints as a cab driver, pizza delivery driver and following in her father's footsteps a mechanic. She had a young daughter who was being raised in Louisiana by Chessie's mother, Glenda, David Parker Ray's third ex-wife. Chessie had a temperamental relationship with her father, David Parker Ray.

The two were close, but also prone to conflict. Back in 1986, Chessie was living with her father on his ranch in Fence Lake, New Mexico. They grew marijuana in a small greenhouse on their farmland, which Chessie would then sell to locals. In June that year, Chessie accused Ray of withholding money owed to her and an altercation followed. Seemingly spurred on by this event, she contacted the FBI and volunteered information implicating David Parker Ray in acts of slavery. According to FBI agent Doug Belden, quote, Chessie alleged that David Parker Ray was abducting and torturing women and selling them to buyers in Mexico. Throughout the following year, the FBI dug around to see if they could find anything substantial to support Chessie Ray's claims,

but she had been so nonspecific that nothing surfaced. The FBI were unable to determine who the alleged abducted victims were, as Chessie offered them no names. Agents visited David Parker Ray's ranch where they questioned him directly, but he confidently denied the allegations. Open and up front with his answers, Ray gave authorities no impression he was hiding something. Soon after this interview, Ray moved back to Albuquerque and because he wasn't formally charged, no one followed after him. With absolutely no evidence to support Chessie Ray's accusations, the FBI dropped the case. It was suspected that the whole situation was a lie concocted by Chessie in spite of her father. This all occurred 13 years prior to the arrest of David Parker Ray in relation to the abduction, captivity and torture of women in Elephant Butte.

David Parker Ray didn't know his daughter reported him to the FBI. He was told they had received an anonymous tip. Over time, the father and daughter patched up their relationship and became very close, spending time together whenever Chessie Ray moved back to town. Chessie Ray also shared a close friendship with Dennis Roy Yancey. When both were in town, they'd take time to catch up, spending most of their time together drinking, dancing and playing pool at the local dive bars or partying out by the lake. When Yancey arrived in town with his father on the 4th of July weekend, Chessie was eager to catch up with her old friend. She drove her motorcycle up to 513 Bass Road in the sweltering hot evening of July 5, 1997, where Yancey was inside, intoxicated. After a brief catch up, Chessie asked her father if she could borrow his Dodgeram truck to get around that evening.

David Parker Ray agreed and handed the keys over. Chessie asked Yancey to join her on a drive to the Blue Waters Saloon. During the 10 minute drive, Chessie told Yancey they were going to the bar to pick up his ex-girlfriend, Marie Parker. Yancey and Marie hadn't maintained a friendship since their breakup, but they had run into each other at a party the previous day and got mildly reacquainted. Yancey felt their interaction had been a positive one, as he had given Marie advice on how to overcome her current living situation. Night had fallen by the time Yancey and Chessie pulled up at the Blue Waters Saloon on the corner of Warm Springs Boulevard and Highway 195. Country music and joyful chatter emanated from the building. Leaving Yancey alone in the truck, Chessie exited the vehicle and disappeared into the bar.

Inside, the walls were adorned with Americana decor, not atypical for a country town watering hole. Patrons guzzled back beer whilst dancing two step and playing pool on an overworked pool table. A short time later, Yancey caught sight of Chessie emerging from the bar. With her was Marie Parker. Marie climbed into the passenger seat and Chessie got behind the wheel, sandwiching Yancey between the two women. Chessie told them she had to make a quick stop to conduct a drug deal, but assured it wouldn't take long. The trio were quiet as Chessie drove into the empty darkness of the town outskirts, stopping a while later at a secluded hilltop. She climbed out of the car, and after looking around, she told the others that the dealer hadn't arrived yet, and they'd have to wait a while.

Marie and Yancey waited in the car, making small talk to pass the time. Chessie paced around to the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door. Marie turned to her and was struck with terror when she noticed Chessie pointing a revolver at her. Chessie used her freehand to pull out a pair of handcuffs. Frozen in fear, Marie didn't resist as Chessie clipped the cuffs onto her wrists. Pointing the gun into the car, Chessie demanded both Yancey and Marie to get out. The pair followed orders, and Chessie led them to the rear of the truck. After opening the back door, she ordered Yancey to get in and hold her back.

Yancey did as he was told. Inside the truck, he climbed on top of Marie and cocooned her body with his, ensuring she was out of sight and unable to move. Yancey recalled that Marie was so petrified that there was no need to put his hand over her mouth. She didn't make a sound. Before Chessie slammed the door shut, Marie was unable to move. She didn't make a sound. Before Chessie slammed the door shut behind them, she barked. Sit down, shut up, and don't move, or I'll kill you.

Chessie resumed her position behind the wheel and drove the truck away from the area while Yancey continued to hold Marie down in the back. After a short drive, the car began to rattle. It was clear Chessie had turned the vehicle onto a gravel road. Not long after, Chessie pulled the car into a driveway and brought it to a stop. Chessie exited the car, and Yancey soon followed. They were at 513 Bass Road. The truck had been parked alongside the long white trailer located at the rear of the property. The trailer door swung open, and David Parker Ray emerged.

Ray grabbed Marie Parker from the rear of the truck, and with Chessie's help, dragged the frightened woman into the toy box, closing the door behind them. During his confession, Yancey told investigators he didn't enter the toy box for the duration of Marie Parker's captivity, but knew exactly what would happen to her inside. After Marie's abduction, Yancey wandered into Ray's house where he grabbed a beer and started drinking. He debated whether he should call the police, but feared what Ray and Chessie would do to him if he did. Instead, he put the situation to the back of his mind and went about his life as usual for the next few days. All the while he was staying at David Parker Ray's house, Marie was only a few feet away, being put through unimaginable horror. Yancey's father, Martin, was also staying on the property, completely oblivious to anything that was going on in the soundproof, steel, reinforced padlocked trailer in the backyard. David Parker Ray continued his normal routine. Each day he'd go to work for the State Parks Department.

When he'd return home in the evening, he'd head straight to the toy box where he'd spent most of the night. Around three nights later, Chessie Ray returned to the Bass Road property. She told Yancey that her father was, quote, done playing, and it was time for Marie Parker to go. Yancey followed Yancey into the toy box. Marie was lying on a portable Army-style cot with her eyes closed and covered with cotton wool. She appeared to be sleeping. Yancey was handed a rope and understood exactly what was expected of him. He didn't argue or resist.

Using two hands, he wrapped the rope around Marie's neck and tightened it. Marie began to fight, making it difficult for Yancey to hold her still. He put her knee on her chest and pressed down to hold her in place. Completely restrained, Marie could do nothing to save herself. Chessie Ray watched on, while David Parker Ray held up his camera, photographing Marie's final moments. When Marie died, Yancey and Chessie proceeded to wrap her body in a green blanket and place her into the back of David Parker Ray's Dodge Ram truck. During the night, the trio drove out to an isolated stretch of the highway where they dumped her body in a deep ravine in the middle of nowhere. As they rolled Marie's body out of the blanket and into the ravine, David Parker Ray turned to Yancey and warned him.

Don't say anything, or you'll join her. Yancey and his father Martin left Ray's property a few days later. They were having a drink together later in the week when Martin started reliving stories of his time as a soldier in the Vietnam War. During a conversation about the killings that Martin witnessed during that time, Yancey interrupted his father and said, Pop, I've done something terrible. I don't know how to tell you this. I killed somebody that didn't deserve to die, and I wish it was me that was dead. After confessing to investigators to the murder of his ex-girlfriend Marie Parker, Dennis Roy Yancey was charged with five counts. Kidnapping, first degree murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder, and tampering with evidence. If convicted, he faced a potential prison term of 46 and a half years.

Yancey strongly maintained that he had nothing to do with the planning of the murder and simply went along with David Parker Ray and Jesse Ray, fearing the consequences if he refused. Co-operating fully with the investigation, Yancey led investigators to where the trio had left Marie Parker's body, an isolated part of the highway about 15 miles west of Elephant Butte, where our red hillscape was surrounded by Bracken. The remote part of the highway stretched on for miles, with no distinguishing features to spark Yancey's memory as to where exactly Marie had been dumped. Everything looked the same, with no landmarks or houses to differentiate one area from the next. Yancey felt somewhat confident he had directed authorities to the correct location of Marie's body, however he couldn't be 100% certain. The night the group had driven Marie's body, Yancey spent the trip lying in the back of the truck, so he didn't get a proper look of the surroundings. All he could remember clearly was that the ravine was about 25 feet from the edge of the road, and there were large power lines nearby.

This information wasn't much help, given that the road, ravine, and power lines stretched on for miles. After an extensive search, authorities were unable to recover Marie Parker's body at the identified site. They suspected Cindy Hendy's part of the story was true, that in the week after the murder, Ray had returned to the scene and moved the body to a different unknown location. But investigators didn't give up the search, they scanned along highways, less travelled roads, and numerous areas in and around Elephant Butte Lake. Dennis Roy Yancey trailed them in handcuffs, eyeing each location in an attempt to jog his memory, but it was fruitless. The search area was simply too vast, covering the state park, highways, caves, abandoned mines, and desert plains. Cadaver dogs were used extensively, but they too found nothing. Over the following weeks, numerous calls came in from hikers and campers having found bones at the Elephant Butte State Park.

However, testing revealed none of the bones were human. With nobody discovered, Dennis Roy Yancey suddenly recanted everything he'd confessed and revealed he would now be pleading not guilty to Marie Parker's murder. On June 30, 1999, a fisherman at Elephant Butte Lake spotted a burlap sack floating across the surface of the water. He retrieved the bag, and when he pulled it close, he noticed that was secreting a strange liquid. Looking inside, he was sickened to discover what appeared to be human remains, and he quickly phoned the police. Tests later revealed the fisherman's suspicions were indeed correct. The burlap sack had fished out of Elephant Butte Lake, contained human muscle tissue. Investigators didn't have any of Marie Parker's DNA on file to test the tissue against.

A search through Marie's medical records failed to provide anything of use. The only possible way of gaining Marie's DNA was to create a reconstruction of it using samples provided by both of her biological parents. Marie's mother agreed to provide a DNA sample. However, Marie's father said he couldn't 100% confirm that Marie was his biological daughter. Ever since Marie was young, he'd toyed with the thought of having a paternity test done to be sure, but it had never gone ahead. Without a reliable DNA sample from either Marie Parker herself, or one reconstructed from the DNA of her biological parents, investigators could not confirm whether the human remains found in the lake belonged to Marie Parker. To this day, the remains have never been positively identified, and Marie Parker's body has never been recovered.

Marie Parker's murder, although a huge breakthrough, had reached the same abrupt and unresolved conclusion as every other lead in the David Parker Ray case. Determined to find conclusive evidence of David Parker Ray's crimes, the FBI continued to reach out to witnesses and potential victims through the media. News reports prominently featured the image of the Swan Taddu belonging to the unknown woman who appeared restrained in the toy box in one of Ray's homemade videos. Investigators were certain the woman in the footage had been held by Ray against her will. As investigators continued to search through files for any unsolved missing persons cases that could be linked to David Parker Ray, a call came in. Someone had recognised the woman with the Swan Taddu. To be continued in the third and final instalment of the series, next week.

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