The Misery Machine - The Case of The Cordell Family

Episode Date: July 17, 2025

This week, Drewby and Yergy head down to Deming, New Mexico, to discuss a shocking case that not many people have heard about. On a sprawling desert property that looked more like a landfill than a home, parents Melvin and Valerie Cordell ran a CSAM ring, performed forced abortions, and made their 7 children live in hand dug mud caves that were found scattered about the land. Support Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachinePayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachineJoin Our Facebook Group: https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1Instagram: miserymachinepodcastTwitter: misery_podcastDiscord: https://discord.gg/kCCzjZM#themiserymachine #podcast #truecrimeSource Materials:https://www.koat.com/article/new-mexico-couple-child-abuse-tunnels/64676175https://www.koat.com/article/child-abuse-case-tunnels-deming-new-mexico/64693545?utm_source=chatgpt.comhttps://www.latintimes.com/new-mexico-parents-forced-8-children-live-underground-cave-while-enduring-years-sexual-abuse-582196?utm_source=chatgpt.comhttps://www.krqe.com/news/crime/deming-mother-accused-of-abusing-kids-making-them-live-in-underground-caves-enters-plea/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14673211/amp/pedophile-cave-compound-daughter-acts-siblings-valerie-melvin-cordell.htmlhttps://www.yahoo.com/news/underground-caves-alleged-incestuous-abuse-152937607.htmlhttps://kfoxtv.com/news/local/report-deming-couple-arrested-for-allegedly-staving-sexually-abusing-their-8-childrenhttps://www.yahoo.com/news/deming-couple-accused-sexually-abusing-035900287.htmlhttps://6thda.com/news-article/melvin-cordell-held-without-bond-on-24-counts-of-sexual-assault-child-abuse-other-charges/https://www.facebook.com/61573951016685/posts/for-immediate-releasemelvin-cordell-held-without-bond-on-24-counts-of-sexual-ass/122101091330798367/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGbtg71r5ho&pp=0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tDhttps://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/underground-caves-mom-kids-new-mexico/amp/https://crimegrade.org/safest-places-in-deming-nm/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deming,_New_Mexicohttps://www.reddit.com/r/NewMexico/comments/1ggue4a/local_input_of_deming_nm_needed/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Parker_Rayhttps://www.nmyca.net/https://www.childhelphotline.org/

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The city of Deming, New Mexico, known as the Rock Hunter's Paradise, is located in Luna County, just 35 miles north of the Mexican border. It is small with less than 15,000 residents per the 2020 census. But according to crimegray.org, Deming is less safe than 85% of U.S. cities. Now, obviously, sites like this can be wildly inaccurate with their data, so we decide to look for experiences from people who have lived there. When looking for takes from locals, one person described it rather interestingly, saying, ever seen that classic old-time photo of the dead cowboys,

face down in the desert with buzzards getting ready to pick at the corpse. Yeah, that's stemming. Some folks blame corrupt public officials, rumored human trafficking or rampant DV. Others feel it's too hot and there simply isn't anything to do, and that the culture seems to be about 20 years behind the rest of the state. Numexo has a bit of a reputation on this channel for some pretty horrific crimes that have occurred in the capital city of Albuquerque. I'm sure many of you have seen breaking back, I'm sure that hasn't helped the way New Mexico's capital is perceived by the average person. But some really horrible crimes have taken place in the southern part of the state as well.

Deming is situated about 91 miles south of the city of Elephant Butte. It was the home of David Parker Ray, who went on to be known as the toy box killer. But today's story isn't about David and the horrible things he did in his soundproof trailer in the middle of the desert. It's about a teenager who had the strength to come forward. it to report the horrible things that were occurring in her own home, which happened to be a sprawling garbage dump and a series of mud caves and dilap data trailers. In October of 2024, a 16-year-old girl was away from home in Roswell attending the New Mexico National Guard Youth Challenge Academy. According to their website, the organization is New Mexico's finest leadership academy developing

the leaders of tomorrow. Through training, discipline, and mentoring, the New Mexico National Guard Youth Challenge Academy provides the education, leadership, character development, and life coping skills to New Mexico's youth, so they may become productive citizens. While at the program, the teenager, who has not been named publicly due to her age and for her own protection, revealed to staff she had been experiencing horrible mistreatment in the home of her parents, 50-year-old Melvin, and 41-year-old Valerie Cordell. Given what police would soon discover, horrible mistreatment was the understatement of the year for what this poor girl had to endure at the hands of her parents. On October 23, 2024, officers responded to a 35-acre desert property near Deming that was cluttered

with trash, buckets filled with human waste, and various debris. In body cam footage, you can see officers approaching the property cautiously. They try to make contact, noting that the dogs on site appeared scared and the officers themselves were feeling hot under the sun. They're contact proper. Stick it easy. Are they big dogs? No, but I mean, they still kind of scared of us. Okay. Oh, she's pretty over me.

Oh, my gosh. I'm hot right now, so. They look for the family's white van, suspecting it might be part nearby and called out to see if anyone was home. Hello. You're there? Oh, I don't see the white van. Just said, hello.

Like this old white van. Mike, man. Maybe they parked it back here. Let's go. Let's go look. Hello, hello, New Mexico State Police. One officer commented that the property did not seem to have trap set up, and another identified a white van that appeared to be a camper.

The footage clearly shows the property in a state of disorder. I don't think they'd booby trap anybody. You guys already know, just 48. There's a white van. Oh, that's a different one. Oh, okay. So this is the camper. Officers then called out again,

trying to find the residents and noted that the underground space looked like a primitive bunker or cave dwelling. They questioned whether the family was inside, commenting on the clutter in the unusual setup of this space. Watch out of a corner of their cover. I'm a scram.

Hello. Hello. In Mexico State Police. Dude, that looks like a bunker. Officers approached a white horse on the scene and were appalled at the condition it was left in. One officer exclaimed that the situation didn't seem right. They noted the horse's overgrown hooves in the unclean pen, concluding that nobody was taking care of this beautiful horse.

This ain't right, dude. This pen? Dude, his hooves are overgrown. Look at that, bro. That's not okay. They don't even clean his pen, but. I'm gonna call life stop. Yeah?

Hey, how you doing? As they continued inspecting the property, representatives from the New Mexico CYFD were also present. Body cam footage showed officers attempting to make contact with the residents, calling out for Melvin and Valerie. Guys, hello. New Mexico State Police, Mr. Cordell. Melvin Cordell, Valerie Cordale.

We want to talk to you guys real quick. We have CYFD here. New Mexico State Police. Are you guys home? I'm not sure if this down here is your guys' residence. We're trying to make contact with you guys. Receiving no response, they checked the area, noting a well, portable bathrooms, and multiple trampolines. One section even had skeletal remains of animals scattered.

They also observed an unsecured trailer filled with stacked items. that had a strong odor. New Mexico State Police, hello. Is it right here? What they described? Hello. There's part of the bathroom stuff out here. This is a trampoline.

The trampoline here. Okay, let's go. Yeah, there's two more. That's probably something else, I don't know. They might lead to something they described. I see. Yeah, there's the bed. Oh, is that a kitty?

Watch out, kitty. I don't think they are. Let's just make that effort of the door that we knocked on the door in case they... We were in the trailer. Crazy smell, bro. Expressing concern, one officer pointed out the lack of safety barriers, worrying that a child could easily fall into a large hole nearby. They emphasized that their main priority was ensuring the children's safety.

Oh, all right, Senerita. I can't... We check the trailer. Trailer has stuff stacked up, the door's not secured. We can check this trailer, there's stuff stacked up, the door I could probably push it in, but I'm knocking, knock in there. So the only thing that I can think of, the residence is what was described, which is the bed, because that's true, that's known to be true. The little pooping containers that are everywhere.

My biggest concern is like, if the kids are staying, like, there's a lot of concerns, but just, like, there's no, like, barrier. You know, one of the little ones can just straight up falling, they go hole and really, really, and really hurt themselves. That's like my biggest thing right now is like that big old drop. Because even myself trying to walk through that is a little. Yeah. After checking the described residence, which consisted mainly of a bed,

they considered visiting another address linked to the case. So hits your call. What else did you need? That was it. Okay. We could check out the other address that we have were the other lady, the other girl stayed. During their search, officers and social workers found

even more concerning items on the property. One pointed out spoiled yogurt that was left in the heat. You have to look at these yogurt if it's like, is there an electrical pole somewhere? Is that the free food that they get? Yeah, but look, this isn't edible. Like these yoghers are up and a hundred percent, you're right, yeah, look at,

that's probably out in the sun. Walmart or Deming's hot. Okay. There's open stuff. But authorities couldn't find the cordels during their initial October visit. So after taking note of everything they saw, they returned on October 24th. Melvin and Valerie met them at the property entrance, acting as if they were expecting the police to visit them. Melvin mentioned that an officer

named Carrillo was on the way and would arrive shortly. He said that his wife needed a chair and some water, so police suggested they could wait in the car with air conditioning until the investigator arrived. A couple appeared cooperative, and they calmly talked with troopers while they waited. How's it going Melvin? Morning. Melvin and Valerie Cordell appear at the entrance of their property and they're not surprised. I was told that I will be meeting officer car he'll he's on his way right now maybe another five minutes or something. I mean to get my wife a chair? A chair? She's probably thirsty. Did she, you guys don't want to sit in the car for a second? I mean, of the air conditioning stuff in BC.

Because they'll be here in about five minutes and then you guys can talk to Agent Cario and stuff. I think they mentioned yesterday, Melissa, we know about my name's novel. They mentioned yesterday Agent Cario's rank, but I didn't catch you. I don't know disrespect to him. Right.

And he should be here in a minute so he can talk to you, let us know what we're going to do, because he's the investigator for this. But like he said, I can hear the place he said, you're welcome to wait in your car until he shows up. It's up to you. I'm trying to just go wait over there, take a seat. And he'll be here in a moment. Yeah. One officer asked if the land's stretching from their house to the road belonged to them. Melvin confirmed it was theirs, but explained they hadn't spoken to the previous owner in years.

mentioned the owner had once offered to sell it to them but that they couldn't afford it at the time. So the officer asked how they acquired the property. Melvin explained that his mother originally bought 10 acres. After paying off that parcel, they were offered an additional 25 adjacent acres through a takeover payment, which they gradually purchased over time. We sell it to us, but at the time... Where are you from? Yeah, he's back east.

I still have his information, but we weren't able to... at the time and so I suppose the offer still stands but she got quite the space out here how did you require this land my mom she purchased this 10 acres would not be spined that were on here 10 acres after and then whenever she had finished paying for it they offered the surrounding property on just to take over payment The conversation turned to food sources, with Melvin describing their preference for self-sufficiency through vegetable gardening rather than store-bought produce. He mentioned growing watermelons, cucumbers, and tomatoes, though noted the soil required frequent

watering due to poor moisture retention. Melvin recounted past struggles with livestock losses, explained they once kept horses, as well as dogs for protection. He claimed their animals began dying after unspecified threats against their children, and that the dogs disappeared before livestock losses resumed. Well, it would be self-sustaining. Whoever threatened our kids? Every time we came back, one of our horses was dead. Yeah, we lost livestock.

Lots of it. We had a pretty good collection of dogs ourselves, and they kind of protected our friends. kind of protected our place for a while. They were taken as soon as they were taking and started using that stuff again. Nearly two months later on December 17, 2024, officers returned with a search warrant. They initially had difficulty locating the main living area before proceeding along a walkway. Announcing their presence loudly, they declared their warrant instructed anyone present to identify themselves.

During the search, an officer noted what appeared to be makeshift sleeping areas scattered across the property. Despite initial appearances, they discovered multiple spots that seemed regularly occupied. Stay police, search warrant. If you're out here and hear me, make yourself known. Stay police, search warrant. If you're out here and hear me, make yourself known. Check that area right there is used as a little bedding area. Watch me.

It doesn't seem like it, but there's a bunch of, like, random areas where they stay at. The search team methodically examined several trailer homes scattered across the property but found no one present during their initial sweep. During the inspection, one officer observed that one trailer appeared relatively well-maintained compared to the others on the property. The team employed thermal imaging equipment to scan for heat signatures while systematically checking each area. At one point, an officer verified they should only encounter adults during this phase of the operation. We'll explain to you why in just a moment.

Say, police, search warrant. If you can hear me, make yourself known. Say, please, search warrant. If you're in here, make yourself known. The only people here should be the adults, right? Yeah. Meanwhile, another group of officers approached a separate residence known to be frequented by the family. They announced their presence before,

gaining entry, carefully clearing each section of the structure. Their search included checking doors and examining what appeared to be a room to the left of their position. Questions arose regarding the children's location with one officer inquiring about daycare arrangements. Stay placed search warrant. Stay pleased search warrant. Stepping out.

Hey, pause. What's the daycare? His kids. His kids. He's kids. Police search warrant. The search eventually led authorities back to the cordels and another part of their property. Body cam footage recorded the interaction beginning with officers noticing a vehicle and inquiring about a laptop's location.

Melvin engaged with the officers discussing electronic devices and explaining they hadn't used certain equipment in years. Valerie attempted to recall details about their previous devices but appeared uncertain about their current wearer. about. Oh, you're good. You're not. Okay. All right. So this is the one that you drive around town.

Okay. Oh, the laptops are right here. Oh, I hope no. And these are the ones that you use like, um, you never used them? What happened to the one that, or do you still have the one that you did use by any chance? No, we don't have one that we used. We had one years ago, but it doesn't really put one anymore. It doesn't?

I don't even know what that's happened. Do you still have that one? I don't know where it was. I don't know where we see. You don't know where we're at? No. Okay. I'm trying to remember when...

Okay. Okay. They're going. They're storing the boxes and everything. Stop, stop. Stop it. I have taken this one out and I tried to... I tried to connect it with our phone.

I don't think I ever did. Okay, okay. I was going to, but I don't think that I ever do it. Okay. Um, this one I have charged it. Okay. Is the office? When officers examined various items, Melvin apologized for the disorganized conditions, explained that their parked van had become infested with mice.

He assured the officers they maintained cleanliness despite the visible clutter, mentioning operational fans and the challenges of keeping the area tidy. The exchange included discussions about collecting evidence, with officers gathering boxes and related materials while Melvin provided context about their storage situation. Throughout the interaction, the cordels appeared cooperative. During the property inspection, Melvin Cordell made an unexpected apology about the mouse infestation, which seemed minor compared to the overall unsanitary conditions officers were documenting. Do you need it? The box is dirty. Are when we're parked our band? Yeah, I think so. Yeah, we'll keep everything together. We'll take the box too and everything.

All right. This is just the key that my wife gave me. No, no, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're good. I'm sorry for the mess. As we parked, as soon as we parked this, we got overrun with mice. Oh, go. Okay. They have to stay clean, too, as well. You're good.

They're good. It's the end of the day. So, where were the children? Remember that unnamed 16-year-old girl we mentioned the beginning of the story? Well, she shared that her father, Melvin Cordell, had been essaying her since she was around 12 or 13. years old. She also revealed that she had been assaulted by two adult relatives from Las Vegas, Nevada, which resulted in two pregnancies, one when she was 13 and another at 16. She went on to explain that her father performed forced terminations at home and hid the remains. The girl described a

disturbing pattern of violence involving her six siblings. Now, it should be noted that the children's ages range from six months to 16 years. She alleged that her parents forced the children to engage in inappropriate acts with each other while adults watched. According to the girl, adults from outside her family also visited their home so they could take part in the horrors being carried out against the children. In addition, her parents allowed these random people to take CSAM images of her and her siblings. She also shared that her parents punished her and her siblings by starving them. One notable example of this was when one of the siblings called 911, prompting a visit from the New Mexico CYFD. The Cordell children had been forced to

stay in underground caves connected by hand-dug tunnels for roughly a decade, many of which were four to five feet deep. They faced extreme weather throughout the year, and during both scorching summers and freezing winters without proper shelter. They were often made to sleep out side on the ground with police finding mattresses directly in the dirt. Sometimes they sought shelter and abandoned vehicles, including a non-functional van. Their living environment was contaminated with human waste stored in buckets scattered around the property. They were left vulnerable to external dangers such as people, wild animals, and illness. The children were kept from basic hygiene facilities for long stretches, often without access to showers or ways to stay clean.

The teenager's report was then directed to the Roswell Police Department, and as a result, the New Mexico State Police was immediately involved. Because they were concerned for the children's safety, officers took the other siblings into state custody. February 21st, 2025, police arrested Melvin and Valerie Cordell. They were booked into the Luna County Detention Center without bond. Melvin faced 24 felony counts, including essay of a minor, conspiracy, aggravated battery, and evidence tampering for allegedly disposing of fetal remains. Valerie faced 18 similar charges, with many matching those brought against her husband. It doesn't appear that either Melvin or Valerie were charged with animal cruelty with regard to the neglect of their horse. During pretrial hearings in March, Valerie was formally detained on March 3rd, and Melvin waived his hearing on March 10th, ensuring both would remain jail pending trial.

On April 28, 2025, the couple both entered a not guilty plea. As is with all cases that have yet to go to trial, Melvin and Valerie are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. We'll also be on the lookout for updates as they become available. Now, New Mexico's CIFD officials, though, unable to discuss specifics, emphasize their commitment to child welfare. Spokesperson Jessica Preston explained that when allegations of mistreatment or neglect are confirmed through legal proceedings, the department typically initiates motions to permanently revoke parental rights. As of the date of this recording in June of 2025, the children remained in state care and the cordel's await trial,

with their dates yet to be decided. Neighbors expressed shock, with one calling the cordelves a tight-knit family, while another recalled seeing the children sleep in an unheeded outbuilding during the winter, which begs the question, why didn't anyone report this to the authorities? Police believe that all of this had been going on

from about 2014 to 2024. That's a whole decade. Why did it take a 16-year-old girl coming forward for something to be done? It's fortunate that she found the opportunity to come forward without being killed. And why didn't CYFD take action after they responded to the property? Ryan Reynolds here from MintMobil. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities.

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See full terms at mintmobile.com. After the 911 call, the teenage girl described. I know there's going to be people who will acknowledge how horrifying this case is, but think that this couldn't happen wherever they live. Even Yergy and I didn't realize the frequency of some of these things until a couple years into the misery machine. It took all of you sending us cases, victims' families contacting us,

or people messaging telling us, hey, this is what my parents did to me as a child. And some of these stories, you don't even know how they managed to survive it. I mean, what's worse is that in 2025, I still have to see ignorant people claiming human trafficking doesn't exist in America. I'm not trying to impress upon you that the situations these poor children faced are commonly happening around you, but what I am trying to say is that you need to keep your eyes open because you could save a life. And if something seems off to you, make that phone call.

Even CYFD didn't say something when they saw something. The service is designed to protect vulnerable individuals have humans operating them and humans make mistakes, even trained ones. It's up to all of us to recognize the warning signs and take action because you could be the only person, witnessing something in that situation where you have the chance to speak up and save someone's life. Please do not take that lightly. We mentioned the case of David Parker Ray at the beginning of this episode, and while we're not going to do a deep dive into the story, it should be noted that he was able to operate in a similar area between 1957 to 1999. He was suspected of the kidnapping, torture, essay, and murder of up to 60 people. The only reasoned.

reason he was even caught was because one of his victims escaped. David was convicted of kidnapping and torture in 2001, but the police couldn't make the evidence stick for murder. David Parker Rae escaped justice on May 28, 2002, after he died of a heart attack. We mentioned David's case as sort of an anecdote on what can happen when neighbors don't speak up when something seems amiss, especially in rural areas. He was allowed to operate in plans. He was allowed to operate in plans. lane site for 42 whole years. And as we mentioned previously, the Cordell's for 10. Thankfully, the Cordell's children are out of harm's way, but will likely live with the trauma of what happened to them forever. So folks, please, if you see something, say something.