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| Volume 11, No. 49 |
September 1-7, 2010 |
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| | ‘America’s Most Wanted’ aims to help solve Las Cruces massacre case | | By Jennifer Nittoso | |  Last month we shared the story of, arguably, one of the most heinous crimes in New Mexico history.
It happened right in our own backyard – in Las Cruces.
And for more than 20 years, the Bowling Alley Massacre has gone unsolved.
Now, with help from a passionate filmmaker and a popular crime show, perhaps … perhaps the living victims can finally see justice served.
On Feb. 10, 1990, two gunmen walked into Las Cruces Bowl, stole thousands of dollars and shot seven people.
Around 8 a.m. that Saturday morning, Steven Teran brought his two young daughters – Paula Holguin, 6; and Valarie Teran, 2 – to work with him at the bowling alley where they would be in daycare. They walked in on a robbery in progress, and found two gunmen had forced four people on the floor in the office: Ida Holguin, the cook; Stephanie Senac, the manager; Senac’s 12-year-old daughter Melissia Repass; and her 13-year-old friend Amy Houser. The gunmen forced Steven and his daughters to the floor; shot all seven of them at close range; started a fire on the desk; and fled.
Though shot in the head, Repass was conscious after the shooting and was able to make a 911 call. She, along with Holguin and Senac, survived the shootings. Steven, his young girls, and Amy Houser did not.
The suspects (at the time) were described as Hispanic males – one in his late 30s to early 40s, 5’5”, medium build, 160 to 180 pounds; the other in his mid to late 20s, 5’6” to 5’8”, medium build, approximately 190 pounds. They did not wear masks or gloves.
The story has haunted Charlie Minn for two decades, after he saw a story about it on “Unsolved Mysteries.” So much so that he decided to make a film about it, despite having no connection to the crime or the area. After beginning its run in Las Cruces and Albuquerque, the film – “A Nightmare in Las Cruces” – is now on its second extension at Premiere Cinema 18 at Basset Place Mall.
Minn says the response to the film has been overwhelmingly positive, and in both Las Cruces and El Paso there have been numerous sellouts.
Yet that doesn’t surprise Minn. But it gives him hope.
“Each year, on the anniversary in February, the crime is remembered, but quickly forgotten again,” Minn says. “The movie had really given the story a heartbeat.”
The longer the movie plays, the more people that see it – the closer law enforcement gets to solving the case. The number of tips had picked up. And more importantly, the film had drawn the attention of a famed crime-solving show.
“America’s Most Wanted” came to El Paso last week to capture footage of Minn and “A Nightmare in Las Cruces.” With the 20th anniversary of the crime and Minn’s film, AMW producers say it was time to reexamine the case.
“The case was featured when the crime first happened,” AMW Producer Jenna Naranjo, says. “We’ve followed it through the years, and re-aired the episode six years ago. We stay in touch with law enforcement. We don’t just sneak into town, do the story and forget about it. We follow it through to the end.”
Lead Detective Mark Myers gave producers the heads up about the film, and now a new episode featuring the crime – and the film – is in production. It is due to air later this month.
The national exposure could be the break the case so desperately needs.
“Maybe, thinking back, someone will remember a loved one or someone they knew acting differently around the time of the crime. Someone has the key that fits,” she says.
On average, “America’s Most Wanted” helps to solve one case a week. To date, the show has led to the capture of more than 1,100 fugitives. Naranjo emphasizes that callers are guaranteed anonymity.
“This case should not go this long unsolved,” Naranjo says. “What we need now is a brave tipster. The tipsters owe it to the survivors.”
Check your local listings for the specific air date of this episode of America’s Most Wanted.
If you have a tip, you may call 1-800-CRIME-TV or go to amw.com/report-tip/.
“A Nightmare in Las Cruces” will play at Bassett Place through at least March 18.
Comments or questions about this story? E-mail Secret@whatsuppub.com
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