Carina Saunders 19 tortured and killed - suspect held possible involvement in drugs and prostitution ring. Update: Murder charges dropped on 2 suspects. Jimmy Lee Massey found Guilty on drug charges.

BETHANY — A witness told investigators she was forced to watch as Carina Saunders was tortured and killed and was told the same thing would happen to her if she did not cooperate with a prostitution ring.

Jimmy Lee Massey, 33, already in the Oklahoma County jail on drug complaints, is now also being held on a murder complaint in the case of Saunders, 19, whose dismembered body was found Oct. 13 in a duffle bag behind the Homeland grocery store at NW 23 and Rockwell.

According to an arrest affidavit, the witness was forced into a car on the evening of Oct. 9 and taken blindfolded to a room where she was forced to watch as Saunders was tortured and killed. The woman, who was not identified in court documents, said she was told that would happen to her if she and her friends did not help the killers with their human trafficking ring.

Bethany Police Chief Phil Cole said Tuesday the case involves a drug trafficking ring and a prostitution ring that were linked.

“(Saunders) had relationships among this loosely associated group of people, and we believe she was a target of opportunity,” Cole said. “We don't believe the witness and Carina knew each other, however we believe Carina's murderer was sending a message that she wasn't cooperating with this organization in a way she was expected to.”

Cole said he hopes this is the first of several arrests in the case.

“There is a lot of work left,” he said. “Additionally, we are seeking a person of interest. We believe he has critical information that will help us in our investigation.”

Cole identified the person of interest as Francisco Gomez, 31.

Massey, who was arrested Nov. 4 on drug complaints, told police he was the one who forced the witness into the car and made her watch Saunders' torture and killing, the affidavit states. Massey identified Saunders from a photo.

Police said Massey gave them graphic details about Saunders' torture and the dismemberment of her body that only someone present would have known. He also identified others in the room during her killing.

Court officials said Massey is being held without bond.

“There are several more people involved in this homicide,” Cole said. “We want everyone to answer for their involvement no matter how small their role was.”

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Jimmy Lee Massey, being held in the death of Carina Saunders

This is a terrible case and it involves human trafficking of women, prostitution and drugs. The body of Carina was found in the duffel bag beheaded and mutilated terribly. Just horrible.

This is Exactly what I think is happening to Hailey Dunn. It's horrific and those sex traffickers are ruthless.

Bethany Police Arrest Man, Seek Person Of Interest In Carina Saunders Murder

Posted: Dec 20, 2011 12:34 PM CST
Updated: Dec 20, 2011 3:37 PM CST
By LaShauna Sewell, News9.com

BETHANY, Oklahoma – Bethany Police made two major announcements Tuesday afternoon in the investigation into Carina Saunders' murder: they've made an arrest and they're looking for a person of interest who may have vital information in the case.

Police arrested 33-year-old Jimmy Lee Massey Tuesday morning on a complaint of first-degree murder in the 19-year-old woman's death. He was also arrested on complaints of kidnapping and assault and battery for the abduction of an unknown witness. Massey was already being held in the Oklahoma County jail on drug trafficking charges when police executed the arrest warrant.

Read the probable cause affidavit for Jimmy Lee Massey
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During a news conference at the Bethany Police Department, investigators announced they were also looking for Francisco Gomez, a person of interest in the case. They are not calling him a suspect, but they believe Gomez has important information about Saunders' murder.
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This information came after police released a probable cause affidavit against Massey. It revealed a woman had been forced to watch the torture and murder of Saunders.

Saunders' dismembered body was found in October stuffed in a duffel bag behind a Homeland grocery store in Bethany. During the investigation, police learned there may have been a witness to her murder. They managed to locate the woman who told them on the night of October 9, she was standing on the street outside of a northwest Oklahoma City house when a man drove up in a vehicle, opened the door, and forced her inside.

The woman said a man blindfolded her with a dark handkerchief and drove her to an unknown location. She told police she was taken to a room and forced to watch the torture of a woman. She said she didn't know who the victim was until the woman was later identified on the news as Carina Saunders.

The woman said the people who tortured Saunders later told her to tell her associates that "this is what happens to people who don't cooperate." Police said they believe the woman was working with drug and human traffickers, but wasn't doing something they wanted her to do. They believe Saunders' torture and death was intended as a message.

Police, however, do not believe Saunders was involved in illegal activities. They say she may have been a random target because she was loosely associated with people in the drug and human trafficking organizations.

The woman was released after she was forced to watch Saunders' murder. She later called friends to come and pick her up.

Police contacted the friends who were with the woman after she witnessed the torture. They confirmed she was in a state of extreme shock and had bruises on both arms in the shape of fingers and hands.

According to court documents, police determined Massey was the man who kidnapped the witness. Bethany police also learned that Massey was the focus of large narcotics investigation by Oklahoma City Police. On November 4, police arrested Massey on drug trafficking and conspiracy charges.

Bethany Police say the investigation continues because they believe there are still several people involved with Saunders' death who have not been caught yet.

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Note: The Pdf is a Must-Read ~ and there is a Must-See video at the above link.

Hailey Dunn could be in this particular ring..it's only one state up. This is Beyond horrific. No words!!

Police: Human Trafficking Group Killed Saunders

Arrest Warrant Issued For Jimmy Lee Massey

Bethany police have filed an arrest warrant for the murder of a 19-year-old girl whose dismembered body was found inside a duffel bag in October.

On Tuesday, detectives filed an arrest warrant against Jimmy Lee Massey in connection with the death of Carina Saunders.

Massey, who was booked into the Oklahoma County Jail on Nov. 5 on drug trafficking warrants, told police that he kidnapped a woman who was standing in the street, blindfolded her with some type of dark handkerchief and forced her to witness the torture and murder of Saunders, court documents revealed.

Massey also identified the victim, who is not being named as a precautionary measure, in a physical lineup, according to court documents.

The witness stated that she didn't know the victim but later recognized her from the television as Carina Saunders. The victim said she was given a message to relay to her associates that "this is what happens to people who don't cooperate," according to court documents.

The victim also stated she was forced into the room because the group of suspects in the room was sending a message -- that she and her associates would help this other group with its human trafficking operation or this same fate would happen to her, court documents revealed.

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Another must-see video and when you click on the above link, there are more videos. This is Sick!!

The girl that was kidnapped was probably a prostitute- they said she was kidnapped "standing on the street"
so I would think the best thing would be for them to round up all the girls on the streets there as many as the can get that are known prostitutes and start that way. Offer them witness protection and start to get the names of the members of these drug and prostitution rings. Its the only way - they wont get anyone to talk unless they promise them witness protection and probably move them if not out of the city even out of the State.

Carina Saunders (19) was tortured and dismembered by members of a human trafficking ring

Published: Dec 30, 2011 @ 5:33 PM
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Carina Saunders (19)

Date: Sep 28, 2011
Cause of Death: Murder
Location: Bethany, OK
URL: go to their myspace
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Bethany Police made two major announcements Tuesday afternoon in the investigation into Carina Saunders' murder: they've made an arrest and they're looking for a person of interest who may have vital information in the case.

Police arrested 33-year-old Jimmy Lee Massey Tuesday morning on a complaint of first-degree murder in the 19-year-old woman's death. He was also arrested on complaints of kidnapping and assault and battery for the abduction of an unknown witness. Massey was already being held in the Oklahoma County jail on drug trafficking charges when police executed the arrest warrant.

During a news conference at the Bethany Police Department, investigators announced they were also looking for Francisco Gomez, a person of interest in the case. They are not calling him a suspect, but they believe Gomez has important information about Saunders' murder.

This information came after police released a probable cause affidavit against Massey. It revealed a woman had been forced to watch the torture and murder of Saunders.

Saunders' dismembered body was found in October stuffed in a duffel bag behind a Homeland grocery store in Bethany. During the investigation, police learned there may have been a witness to her murder. They managed to locate the woman who told them on the night of October 9, she was standing on the street outside of a northwest Oklahoma City house when a man drove up in a vehicle, opened the door, and forced her inside.

The woman said a man blindfolded her with a dark handkerchief and drove her to an unknown location. She told police she was taken to a room and forced to watch the torture of a woman. She said she didn't know who the victim was until the woman was later identified on the news as Carina Saunders.

The woman said the people who tortured Saunders later told her to tell her associates that "this is what happens to people who don't cooperate." Police said they believe the woman was working with drug and human traffickers, but wasn't doing something they wanted her to do. They believe Saunders' torture and death was intended as a message.

Police, however, do not believe Saunders was involved in illegal activities. They say she may have been a random target because she was loosely associated with people in the drug and human trafficking organizations.

12/7/2011 Related Story: Cell Phone Records Lead To More Drug Trafficking Arrests In Bethany

The woman was released after she was forced to watch Saunders' murder. She later called friends to come and pick her up.

Police contacted the friends who were with the woman after she witnessed the torture. They confirmed she was in a state of extreme shock and had bruises on both arms in the shape of fingers and hands.

According to court documents, police determined Massey was the man who kidnapped the witness. Bethany police also learned that Massey was the focus of large narcotics investigation by Oklahoma City Police. On November 4, police arrested Massey on drug trafficking and conspiracy charges.

Bethany Police say the investigation continues because they believe there are still several people involved with Saunders' death who have not been caught yet.

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I know I have stated this before, but it would not be a stretch if this group has or had Hailey Dunn. It is only one State over. MOO.

These guys are pure evil - I hope they get the death sentence

They are hugely scary. I think that Hailey Dunn is either with this group or a group very similar to them as I think they all know each other. Very tight knit. Kinda like the Mafia.

Saunders' Suspect ID's Possible Murder Orchestrator

Posted: Jan 20, 2012 10:51 PM CST
Updated: Jan 20, 2012 10:51 PM CST
By Michael Konopasek, News 9 - bio | email

In court documents obtained Friday, Jimmy Massey admits being connected to the death of Carina Saunders. He implicates Alejandro Rojas in the murder and dismemberment of Saunders in October of 2011.

OKLAHOMA CITY - A man suspected in the murder of Carina Saunders identifies another man who he says helped in the murder and was involved in the decision to carry out the murder.

Jimmy Massey, who admits being connected to the crime, is making those charges to police against Alejandro Rojas. Police believe Rojas may have helped murder Carina. The teen was found dismembered in a duffel bag in October of 2011 behind a Bethany grocery store.

Search warrants filed in district court Friday reveal that Massey identified Rojas, who he says decided to carry out, watch, and even help commit the torture and murder of Saunders.

Police say Rojas spent his days as a major part of a drug organization. He is currently behind bars on drug trafficking charges, but now police are looking at him as a possible murder suspect. Search warrants show police are interested in Rojas' cell phone records. Police report in a search warrant that they became interested in those records for location-based information after Massey told investigators that Rojas helped dismember Carina.

"This is something that I would never wish on my worst enemy," Carina's mother, Margie Queen, said in late October of 2011. "It's a struggle, hour by hour … sometimes minute by minute. I miss her calling me and saying, ‘hey, Mommy, what are you doing?' … I would just really love to have one more hug."

It's been about three months since Carina's parents lost their child. They are hoping all of those responsible for the torture and killing will soon meet justice.

"[The hardest part is] knowing that we haven't [got] justice yet," Carina's father, Richard Saunders, said in late October of 2011. "Knowing that somebody sadistic enough did this to our little girl … it's just more than anybody can bear."

According to court documents, Saunders was tortured in front of a female witness to show that witness what would happen to her and her associates if they didn't cooperate with a human trafficking organization.

A second search warrant filed Friday shows investigators are interested in Massey's cowboy boots. Investigators say they want the boots for forensic evidence.

Investigators believe they may find blood samples on the boots that may further link Massey to the murder.

Bethany Police say they have investigators working full-time on this one case.

Both Rojas and Massey are currently being held at the Oklahoma County jail.

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Bethany police may have located Carina Saunders' murder scene

Bethany police have removed potential blood and DNA evidence from an apartment that could turn out to be the scene of Carina Saunders' murder.

BY ANDREW KNITTLE [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Published: February 3, 2012

Trying to pin down the place where Carina Saunders was killed and dismembered, investigators removed DNA and blood evidence from an apartment unit belonging to a convicted felon nicknamed “Monster.”

Investigators in a small Oklahoma City suburb have asked the FBI to help them identify possible suspects in the death of the 19-year-old woman, whose dismembered body was found in a duffel bag, the deputy chief of police said Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2011.

The Oklahoma City apartment at 1691 Heyman belonged to Michael Knight, 27, records filed Thursday show.

Prosecutors say Knight, who's been arrested numerous times the past two years, told witnesses the Saunders slaying was carried out at the apartment and that a woman named Rachel cleaned up the mess. He is now in Oklahoma County jail in an unrelated case.

Documents filed in Oklahoma County reveal investigators removed hair, a machete with a 20-inch blade, a piece of linoleum tile and a towel with a dark stain on it when they searched the apartment in December.

A BlackBerry, a roll of black electrical tape and traps from the kitchen and bathroom sinks also were seized by police.

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By KEN MILLER
Published: February 3, 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Police have yet to file charges against an Oklahoma City man who, while in jail, was arrested on a warrant for murder in connection with the grisly death of a beheaded and dismembered woman.

Since the warrant was served on Dec. 20, Jimmy Lee Massey has been denied bail and assistant District Attorney Scott Rowland said there is no deadline for the prosecutors to formally file charges of murder, kidnapping and assault and battery. Massey, 33, was already in the Oklahoma City jail on drug charges.

Massey allegedly kidnapped another woman and forced her to watch others beat and kill 19-year-old Carina Saunders, whose dismembered body was found in a duffel bag behind a grocery store on Oct. 13. Police have said the crime is connected to prostitution and drug rings.

“It's still under investigation,” Rowland said of the case. “He's still in jail and he's going to stay there. It's not something we've forgotten about, there's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes.”

Rowland declined to elaborate further on the warrant, and wouldn't say whether the drug counts from November that Massey has pleaded not guilty to are related to the case.

Massey's attorney, public defender Mitchell Solomon, declined to comment.

“I don't have any information,” Solomon said, “because they haven't filed anything yet.”

The December arrest warrant for Massey was issued after another woman told police she recognized Saunders' face from news reports and said that Massey had kidnapped her on Oct. 9 or 10.

An affidavit filed in the case said the 20-year-old woman, whose name has not been released because of concerns for her safety, told investigators that she was taken to an unknown location where Massey forced her to watch Saunders being beaten and killed.

The woman was told to tell her friends “this is what happens to people who don't cooperate,” according to the affidavit.

Bethany Police Chief Phil Cole has said the kidnapping and killing were meant to send a message that the 20-year-old and her friends faced the same fate unless they cooperated with a human trafficking ring focused on prostitution and a related drug ring.

Saunders' body was found by animal welfare workers rounding up feral cats behind a grocery store in Bethany. The autopsy isn't complete, according to Amy Elliott, spokeswoman for the state medical examiner.

“Not yet, we are extremely close. Next week at this time I'm hoping to have it out,” Elliot said.

Cole, who has said police are looking for others in the case, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Rowland said there have been no additional arrests, and that “it's more important to get it done right than to get it done fast.”

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Carina Saunders Murder Scene Possibly Found

February 05, 2012 03:02 AM EST

When Carina Saunders was discovered dismembered and stuffed into a duffel bag, detectives immediately knew they were dealing with something big. In fact, this case runs so deep that it's taken months for the investigation to even get as far as a motive for the killing. What's more? If there are more people involved in this than the two behind bars, police aren't saying.

This week police in Bethany, Oklahoma, may have discovered the place where 19-year-old Carina Saunders was murdered and dismembered. They've uncovered several pieces of evidence, including blood, that indicates someone was harmed in an apartment in Oklahoma City. The apartment is one rented by a convicted felon who goes by the name "Monster," or more officially Michael Knight. The 27-year-old man is currently in jail on an unrelated charge, which is fortunate. With him already in custody, he won't be able to flee when detectives get to him.

Among the evidence found in the apartment, detectives recovered electrical tape, a machete, and several other bits and pieces indicating the young woman was tortured. It seems that the machete may in fact be the item used to dismember Saunders. If so, then they may have made one definitive find in this case after several months.

This case runs deep, and there could possibly be more people involved. The unidentified woman (and possibly other witnesses) told detectives that Carina Saunders was randomly abducted by a man and then tortured and dismembered in front of her. This was done as a means to "send a message" to the woman if she wouldn't comply with the "human trafficking side" of some criminal ring these people are involved with in Oklahoma.

Hopefully the discovery of this evidence gives detectives enough of a case to prosecute every person involved in this heinous crime.

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Carina Saunders death ruled 'violent' by Oklahoma medical examiner's office

The state medical examiner says Carina Saunders died a “violent” death, but did not release details about the condition of the young woman's remains or how she died. An autopsy report could be ready within two weeks.

BY ANDREW KNITTLE [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Published: February 28, 2012
The state medical examiner Monday released the cause of death for Carina Saunders as “violent death,” but gave no details of how the young woman died.

Family and friends recently placed a large white cross as a memorial to Carina Saunders, 19, in a field on the north side of NW 23 Street west of Rockwell Avenue in Bethany. Saunders' dismembered body was found in a duffel bag in a field next to a national chain grocery store on Oct. 13. Police continue to search for her killer.blood and DNA evidence from an apartment that could turn out to be the scene of Carina Saunders’ murder.

Spokeswoman Amy Elliott said an autopsy report, which would include details about the condition of Saunders' body, “may be completed in the next two weeks.”
Saunders, 19, was found Oct. 13, dismembered and stuffed inside a duffel bag behind a grocery store at NW 23 and Rockwell.

Elliott said the manner of death for Saunders is listed as homicide and the cause as “violent death.”

Bethany Police Chief Phil Cole said the homicide investigation is ongoing and he expects “to bring all involved to justice.”

Several people have been identified with connections to the case, but nobody has been charged with murder.

Cole said it is the biggest case in his 22 years in Bethany.

“There's just been so many people to interview to get the truth ... to try and separate what they've heard with what really happened,” Cole said. “But I think, and this is the truth, that we have a lot of information that's going to wrap this up.”

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Michael Knight

That poor girl!!! Somehow I missed this horrific story. OMG every POS involved in this girl's murder and/or the drugs/prostitution needs to be located and taken off the streets! I hope more than just local LE are on top of this case! It makes me sick to think that Hailey Dunn could possibly be in the hands of these people or people like these.

Autopsy withheld on Carina Saunders, whose body was found in a duffel bag

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 1, 2012
The Oklahoma medical examiner says he will not release the autopsy report on a woman whose dismembered body was found in a duffel bag in Bethany.

02/04/2012 Bethany police have removed potential blood and DNA evidence from an apartment that could turn out to be the scene of Carina Saunders’ murder.
Medical examiner's spokeswoman Amy Elliott said Thursday that Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Eric Pfeifer wouldn't release the report on the body of 19-year-old Carina Saunders. The office earlier had released a statement saying that Saunders was a homicide victim and that she died a “violent death.”

One man has been arrested in connection with Saunders' death — but has not been charged.

Bethany police have said Saunders was killed by a group involved in human trafficking.

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These are VERY, VERY dangerous criminals who don't give a damn about human life. Their sole purpose is to make money off the young and innocent. I still say there is a Very good chance this is what happened to Hailey Dunn. I pray IF this is the case, she is still alive and w/somehow free herself from them. But, I doubt it. MOO.

Bethany police said a body found in a duffle bag belongs to 19-year-old Carina Saunders.
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OKLAHOMA CITY - The attorney representing a suspect in the slaying of teenager Carina Saunders says his client and three others could be charged with murder as early as next week.

“He assured me that within the next 10 days, he will let us know who will be charged with the murder of Carina Saunders,” said Coleman.

Rojas, Francisco Gomez, Edgar Alberto Gonzalez-Olivas, Luis Arturo Soto and Jimmy Lee Massey Jr. were all scheduled to face a judge on Friday in a preliminary hearing on drug charges. All four could potentially be charged with murder, according to Coleman.

Investigators say Massey, who’s being held in jail on a first-degree murder complaint, witnessed the brutal killing of Saunders. Her dismembered body was found last October in a duffel bag behind a grocery store in Bethany.

Stay with KOCO.com for the latest information on this breaking news.

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New Information Comes To Light In Carina Saunders' Murder Case

Posted: Jul 06, 2012 10:04 PM CDT
Updated: Jul 06, 2012 10:04 PM CDT
By Chris McKinnon, News 9

On October 13, detectives found Carina Saunders' body dismembered and stuffed in the duffle bag behind a grocery store in Bethany.
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Luis Ruiz
OKLAHOMA CITY - New information surfaced Friday following an arrest for the murder of a 19-year-old girl whose body was found nine months ago near a Bethany grocery store.

Police arrested Luis Ruiz, 37, of Oklahoma City for the brutal murder of Carina Saunders. Detectives found Saunders' body in October 2011, dismembered in a duffle bag.

Friday News 9 learned that new information from a witness helped connect Ruiz to the murder, though detectives were trying to seal court documents with the details.

Ruiz was actually arrested for larceny by the Oklahoma City police, Thursday afternoon, after he was spotted trying to steal merchandise from a Sears store in Southwest Oklahoma City. Bethany police already had the warrant to arrest Ruiz in for allegedly murdering Saunders.

Ruiz had a lengthy criminal history before he was arrested Friday. He was previously arrested in three different states for a variety of drug-related crimes. But Friday he sat in jail facing a murder complaint without bond.

Police believe his alleged drug-related activities led to Saunders' murder that was possibly meant to scare witnesses so they would cooperate with a drug and human trafficking ring Ruiz was allegedly involved in.

Ruiz's family declined to speak with News 9 as they returned home from New Mexico.

On October 9, Saunders received threatening text messages and reported them to police. The next day she went missing and a missing persons report was filed. Then on October 11 Police arrested Luis Ruiz on drug-related charges, he later posted bond. On October 13, detectives find Carina Saunders' body dismembered in the duffle bag.

Detectives had previously looked at Ruiz in connection with the killing. He is the first person to be arrested for the murder. Several others have been arrested on drug-related charges that are allegedly connected to the case.

Interesting video here:
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Bethany, OK, detectives identify a woman thought to have a copy of a video of Carina Saunders' killing, but she didn't show for an interview out of fear. A laptop, zip drives, mobile phones and cameras were recovered from a motel where she was staying.

By Tim Willert | Published: July 10, 2012

Bethany police revealed Tuesday in court papers that there may be a video showing the killing and dismemberment of Carina Saunders.

A woman thought to have a copy of the video agreed to meet with Bethany police last week, but she didn't show up because she “was scared to come forward,” according to a search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday in Oklahoma County District Court.

Read the search warrant for video showing the killing of Carina Saunders
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A woman thought to have a copy of the video of Carina Saunders' killing agreed to meet with Bethany police last week, but she didn't show up because she “was scared to come forward,” according to a search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday in Oklahoma County District Court. Police on July 3 searched a south Oklahoma City motel room where the woman — identified as Mindy Cottier — was staying. Police recovered a laptop computer, two zip drives, two cameras and four mobile phones. NOTE: Cottier's cellphone number has been redacted from the document.

Police on July 3 searched a south Oklahoma City motel room where the woman — identified as Mindy Cottier — was staying. Police recovered a laptop computer, two zip drives, two cameras and four mobile phones.

Bethany Police Chief Phil Cole declined to comment on whether the video was found.

“Anything I release could hinder our investigation,” Cole said.

Cottier, 24, identifies herself on the Internet as an exotic dancer and professional escort. She goes by the alias, Michelle Foxx. She has a record that includes three arrests in 2009 and 2010 on prostitution complaints in the Dallas area, court documents show.

“I'm a stripper/escort and I love my job!” she wrote on Facebook. “I make more than 90% of the college graduates out there.”

She also wrote she now works at Little Darlings, a strip club in Valley Brook.

Reached by phone, she declined to comment Tuesday. Her attorney, Scott Adams, said he also could not comment because of the sensitivity of the investigation.

The victim's body was found dismembered and stuffed in a duffel bag behind a Homeland grocery store on Oct. 13, 2011. The Mustang resident was 19.

Police have identified some suspects in the case and arrested a man last week on a murder complaint in the case. No one has been charged with first-degree murder yet.

Since Saunders' death, detectives have interviewed more than 80 witnesses and followed hundreds of leads, according to the affidavit.

“For the past several months, we have learned from various sources that a digital video recording exists of the murder of Saunders, but to date, no one in law enforcement has been able to confirm the existence of this video,” Detective Angelo Orefice wrote in the affidavit.

According to the document, Cottier has a copy of the video and agreed to come to the police station for an interview on July 2 but changed her mind.

A local attorney told police he had been contacted by a woman “who supposedly had a video of a murder” but was scared to come forward, Orefice wrote.

According to the affidavit, police located Cottier the next day walking in front of the Studio 6 Motel at 3850 S Prospect. She was staying at the motel and took detectives to her room.

The room was rented to a felon named Christopher Banschbach, 26, who was inside with an unidentified female, the detective reported. A handgun was lying on the bed in plain view, the detective reported.

When police entered the room, the unidentified woman asked why she was being detained, and Orefice replied “because there is a gun, and probably methamphetamine, inside the room.”

Officers found a trace amount of “tannish powder” on a nightstand, and several hundred dollars in Banschbach's pants pocket, the affidavit shows.

Banschbach was arrested and booked on several complaints, including trafficking, possession of drug proceeds and possession of a firearm after a previous conviction. He was being held Tuesday at the Oklahoma County jail with bail set at $49,500, a jail official said.

Banschbach, according to court documents, has three felony convictions in Oklahoma County for possession of methamphetamine. One of those convictions, a 2010 case, includes a possession of meth with intent to distribute.
The Bethany police chief would not say whether Cottier or the other woman in the motel room was arrested. Cottier was not booked into the Bethany or Oklahoma County jails in the past week, jail officials said Tuesday.

It was unclear Tuesday whether Cottier has dealings with any of the other suspects in the murder case, or whether Banschbach was an associate of the suspects.

Last week, Bethany police arrested Luis E. Ruiz, 37, of Oklahoma City, on a murder complaint in Saunders' murder.
Police have previously said they were considering suspects who had been jailed on charges of drug and human trafficking.

A confidential witness told police she was kidnapped and forced to watch as members of a human trafficking ring tortured and murdered Saunders to send a message to others to cooperate with their illegal activities.

In December 2011, Francisco Gomez, 32, and Jimmy Lee Massey, 33, were named as persons of interest in connection with Saunders' death. Both men remain in the Oklahoma County jail.

According to court records, Massey admitted to kidnapping a woman and making her watch as Saunders was tortured and killed Oct. 9. Massey also described how Saunders' body was dismembered and left in a field behind the Homeland grocery store at NW 23 and Rockwell Avenue.

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video at above link.

Another beautiful girl. What scumbags these people are!

This is a Very Scary case!! These sex traffickers remind me of the mafia. I do think there is a Very Good chance that the same scum bags have Hailey Dunn in Oklahoma as it's only one State away.

You could be right about Hailey. There does not seem to be a trace in what happened to her.

OMG video tapes of the killing and dismemberment?

Yes, these people are RUTHLESS!!

Check this out:
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I sure hope there are more arrests coming. This is the stuff that scares me the most. Real life horror stories.

Posted: Jul 17, 2012 9:24 PM CDT
Updated: Jul 17, 2012 9:24 PM CDT
By Michael Konopasek, News 9

In an exclusive interview, Carina Saunders' father, Richard, talks to News 9 after months of staying silent.

Tuesday marked what would have been the 20th birthday of Carina Saunders.

The Saunders family used the special day to donate $4,000 to the Make A Wish Foundation. The money comes from fundraisers held in Carina's honor.

OKLAHOMA CITY - In an exclusive interview, Carina Saunders' father, Richard, talks to News 9 after months of staying silent.

Tuesday marked what would have been the 20th birthday of Carina Saunders. Richard opened up as family members and friends gathered at an Oklahoma City restaurant to celebrate Carina's life.

The Mustang teen's dismembered body was found behind a Bethany grocery store last October. That is where the nightmare for the Saunders family started, and it is still not over.

"I deal with the pain as best I can," Carina's father Richard said.

Richard has yet to give any reaction to the recent arrest in his daughter's murder case. He is also continuing to stay silent on the investigation. But, talking about his daughter's life puts a smile on his face.

"[Carina] was always full of smiles and joy," Richard said. "She was probably one of the most giddy kids you would have ever seen in your life."

Family members and friends did not want to be on camera during the birthday celebration, but Richard says they have all worked hard to make something very special possible.

"Hopefully, this will be something that will help carry on the legacy of Carina Saunders and help somebody in the near future," Richard said.

The Saunders family used the special day to donate $4,000 to the Make A Wish Foundation. The money comes from fundraisers held in Carina's honor.

"[The Saunders family is] going to help other families that are struggling," Kandy Hadley with the foundation said.

Richard says giving back helps with the grieving process.

"To give something like this to somebody who may need it helps," Richard said. "I might come up with something different, and maybe next year we can do this again."

The $4,000 donation will stay right here in Oklahoma. In early July, police arrested Luis Ruiz for Carina's murder. Prosecutors have not yet filed charges against him.

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By Tim Willert | Published: July 17, 2012

Citing new evidence in the Carina Saunders slaying investigation, prosecutors have received more time to charge the only person jailed in her slaying, court papers show.

Read the search warrant for video showing the killing of Carina Saunders
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A woman thought to have a copy of the video of Carina Saunders' killing agreed to meet with Bethany police last week, but she didn't show up because she “was scared to come forward,” according to a search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday in Oklahoma County District Court. Police on July 3 searched a south Oklahoma City motel room where the woman — identified as Mindy Cottier — was staying. Police recovered a laptop computer, two zip drives, two cameras and four mobile phones. NOTE: Cottier's cellphone number has been redacted from the document.

Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater filed a 10-day extension July 13 on behalf of Bethany police to give detectives more time to prepare their case against Luis E. Ruiz.

District Judge Donald Deason granted the extension, giving prosecutors until Monday to charge Ruiz with a crime or release him from custody.

Ruiz, 37, of Oklahoma City, was arrested July 5 on a murder complaint in the death of Saunders, a 19-year-old Mustang woman whose dismembered body was found in a duffel bag in Bethany in late 2011.
Bethany police Detective Austin Warfield requested the extension “due to the enormity of the case and new evidence that has arisen,” according to a court document filed Monday.

“New information has been attained and (we are) in the process of committing that info to reports,” Warfield wrote in the document.

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Oklahoma County district attorney charges two men in death of woman whose dismembered body was found in a duffel bag.

BY TIM WILLERT [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] | Published: July 23, 2012

One of the men charged Monday in the killing of Carina Saunders beat her, tied her to a table and tortured her by sawing off her left foot and then trying to cut off her right foot before the saw broke, an affidavit shows a witness told police.

The Oklahoma County district attorney's office filed first-degree murder charges against Luis Enrique Ruiz and Jimmy Lee Massey Jr. in the killing of Saunders, the 19-year-old Mustang woman whose dismembered body was found in a duffel bag in Bethany in October 2011.
Ruiz, 37, and Massey, 33, of Oklahoma City, previously had been identified as suspects in the case and have been in custody in the Oklahoma County jail.

Ruiz planned and carried out the torture killing, according to a probable cause affidavit filed with his charges Monday in Oklahoma County District Court.

In the affidavit, a woman named Michelle Hanshaw told police she went to a house on S Harvey Avenue in Oklahoma City with Saunders and witnessed Ruiz “physically beat Carina Saunders and then tie her up.”

Ruiz then dragged Saunders to an upstairs room and tied her to a small table with rope and twine before using the saw on her feet, Hanshaw told Bethany police investigators.

Hanshaw, according to the probable cause affidavit filed with the murder charge against Massey, “jumped out a window to escape” after witnessing the killing.

Stephanie Howard, Ruiz's girlfriend in October 2011, told investigators that on two occasions she and Ruiz had to “baby-sit” a girl Howard later learned was Carina Saunders, police reported.

Ruiz said Saunders was going to be “dealt with,” Howard told investigators.

Another woman was at the house on S Harvey Avenue with Saunders and Hanshaw, but left soon after, police reported. Tia Downour said she had been told there was a video of the homicide on the phone, and the phone belonged to Ruiz, the affidavit shows.

Downour told investigators she shared a room at the Bel-Aire Hotel with Ruiz in May, and when he went to the bathroom, she viewed the video, police reported.

“Downour said she watched for a few seconds until Saunders began to scream,” Bethany police Lt. JR Jencks wrote in the affidavit.
Downour told investigators she recognized Luis Ruiz “as the person in the video cutting off the foot of Saunders,” the lieutenant wrote.

Another person interviewed by detectives said Ruiz told him he “had been the one that planned the entire incident which resulted in the death of Carina Saunders,” according to the affidavit.

Ruiz was arrested July 5 on a murder complaint. He and Massey are being held without bail in the Oklahoma County jail.

Neither District Attorney David Prater nor Bethany Police Chief Phil Cole would comment Monday on charges being filed in the case.

Massey, while jailed on drug charges, shared details of the slaying with two detainees, according to a probable cause affidavit filed with his murder charge.

He told the first detainee that he participated in the homicide and said “they cut the girl's arms and legs off,” the lieutenant wrote in the affidavit.

The second detainee told police Massey “gave handwritten statements in the form of passed notes” describing what parts of the woman's body were dismembered and “perhaps more importantly,” how the body was wrapped before disposal,” the lieutenant wrote.

“Those same notes have been compared to known samples of Jimmy Massey's hand writing and appear to be from the same person on initial examination,” Jencks wrote.

Downour, who told investigators she left the residence on S Harvey shortly after Saunders and Hanshaw arrived, said Massey, who she also knew as “Country,” was there when she left, according to Massey's affidavit.

A confidential witness told police she was kidnapped and forced to watch as members of a human trafficking ring tortured and killed Saunders to send a message to others to cooperate with their illegal activities.

Neither prosecutors nor police would comment on that aspect of the killing.

According to court records, Massey admitted to kidnapping a woman and making her watch as Saunders was tortured and killed Oct. 9. Massey also described how Saunders' body was dismembered and left in a field behind the Homeland grocery store at NW 23 and Rockwell Avenue.

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OMG, I just read the first couple of sentences and I cannot read this tonight! Horrific! I'm so glad they have these POS in jail and I hope someone takes them out before they cost the taxpayers unnecessary money.

Suspects Accused Of Killing Carina Saunders Appear In Court

Posted: Jul 24, 2012 1:07 PM CDT
Updated: Jul 24, 2012 1:09 PM CDT
By Adrianna Iwasinski, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY - Two men accused of torturing and killing Carina Saunders, then dumping her body in a duffel bag behind a Bethany grocery store, appeared Tuesday via video in an Oklahoma County courtroom.

Luis Ruiz and Jimmy Massey are both charged with first-degree murder in Saunders' death. A judge read the charges against them Tuesday morning during a video arraignment. Massey swayed back and forth and announced his name with a smile. Ruiz stood still and only said "" at the end of the arraignment.

Their next court date was set for August 9.

Read the probable cause affidavit. WARNING: Contains graphic content
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Man Pleads Guilty In Drug Trafficking Case Tied To Saunders Murder

Posted: Aug 08, 2012 11:54 AM CDT
Updated: Aug 08, 2012 12:17 PM CDT
By Lisa Monahan, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY - A man arrested in a drug trafficking ring that is possibly connected to the death of a Bethany girl enters a guilty plea in court Wednesday morning.

Alejandros Rojas will spend four years in custody on drug trafficking charges from November 2011.

Rojas and four other individuals, including Jimmy Massey, were arrested for one count of illegal drug trafficking and one count of conspiracy to distribute.

Following the arrests, court documents revealed a possible connection between the drug trafficking ring and the murder of Carina Saunders, the 19-year-old found dismembered in a duffle bag in Bethany during October 2011.

Prosecutors formally charged Jimmy Massey and Luis Ruiz for Saunders' murder last month.

When asked if Rojas is considered a suspect in the murder of Carina Saunders, Oklahoma County First Asst. District Attorney Scott Rowland said, "We've known all along some members of the drug ring Rojas associated with are responsible for Carina Saunders murder but right now there is no information specifically connecting him [Rojas] to her death."

Rojas has an I.C.E. hold and will be deported back to Mexico after serving the time in jail. The drug charges against Jimmy Lee Massey, Francisco Gomez, Luis Arturo Soto and Edgar Alberto Gonzales- Olivas are still pending.

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State Medical Examiner Says Bethany Teen Died Violently

Posted: Aug 15, 2012 12:17 PM CDT
Updated: Aug 15, 2012 12:26 PM CDT
Lashauna Sewell, NewsOn6.com - email

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office has released the autopsy of murder victim Carina Saunders of Bethany, and it lists some disturbing details about what was done to the teen's body.
Saunders' body was found in a field behind a Bethany grocery store on October 13, 2011. The medical examiner ruled her cause of death as "violent death" and the manner of death homicide.

According to the autopsy, Saunders' body was dismembered. The body parts were wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a laundry bag and a duffle bag.

Read autopsy report. [WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT]
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The state Medical Examiner's Office used dental records to identify the 19-year-old.

Bethany Police say Luis Ruiz and Jimmy Massey killed Saunders. Both men have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

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By Phillip O'Connor | Published: September 3, 2012

The October discovery of Carina Saunders' dismembered remains behind a Bethany grocery store stunned the community.

Then, shocking evidence surfaced that the 19-year-old Mustang High School graduate and varsity choir member might have been tortured and killed by members of a human trafficking ring.

The Saunders case is shedding light on what some law enforcement officials and others said is a growing problem in Oklahoma: victims, including underage children, being forced into prostitution. (Think Hailey Dunn. MOO)

“That really woke everybody up,” said Mark Elam, director of Oklahomans Against Trafficking Humans (OATH), a victims' advocacy group. “Unfortunately, her murder has forced everyone to recognize how severe this can be.”

Once a crime more readily associated with the Baltics, Asia or Latin America, human trafficking is increasingly being recognized as a problem in the United States.

In 2010, the latest year for which figures are available, federal law enforcement charged 181 people and obtained 141 convictions in 103 human trafficking prosecutions. Of those, 32 involved labor trafficking and 71 involved sex trafficking. That represented the largest number of federal human trafficking prosecutions ever initiated in a single year.

“Advocates like us around the nation have been rolling out information and trying to retrain law enforcement, legislators and the public to understand that slavery exists in a modern form,” Elam said.
Notable cases

No comprehensive data is available on state prosecutions and convictions, but Oklahoma has been the site of several notable human trafficking cases.

• In 2001, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Tulsa-based oil industry parts manufacturer John Pickle Co. Inc. lured 52 skilled laborers from India, confiscated their identification and immigration documents, crammed them into a warehouse “dormitory” and paid them only about $3 per hour. The highly skilled welders and fitters also worked as janitors and performed other menial jobs for company officers under threat of physical harm. They escaped in 2002 with the aid of area churches. The business was closed.
• In 2004, the FBI investigated reports of children recruited in Oklahoma City being prostituted at truck stops and through call services nationwide. The investigation, dubbed “Stormy Nights,” discovered 16 underage sex workers. Nine defendants were charged with sex trafficking of minors and transporting juveniles for use in prostitution. Eight pleaded guilty, and a ninth was convicted at trial. Defendants received prison terms ranging up to 17.5 years.

A grisly death
Human trafficking doesn't necessarily entail the movement of people. It also differs from prostitution in that participants are either minors or are coerced into commercial sex, often with drugs, threats of violence or both.

“You can't tell them apart without an investigation,” Elam said. “If someone starts controlling her and keeps the money and is not letting her quit … that ... makes it a trafficking case.”

In the past, local prosecutors have been reluctant to take such cases, he said.

“They were so inundated with the problems of gangs and burglaries and homicide and so many of what they considered these far more serious crimes that they didn't have the energy or resources to help dishwashers and labor workers and groundskeepers and women being prostituted. Those were misdemeanor issues compared to the severe felonies.”

The torture killing of Carina Saunders may change that, he said.

Two men, Jimmy Massey, 34, and Luis Ruiz, 37, are being held in the Oklahoma County jail in connection with her death.

Court documents filed in the case suggest that Saunders was killed as a message to others not to defy a human- and drug-trafficking ring. Confidential witnesses have painted a picture of a criminal organization that wanted to show what happens to people who don't cooperate.

Witnesses told law officers they witnessed, either in person or on videotape, her grisly slaying in an Oklahoma City apartment. Investigators said in court affidavits that Ruiz beat Saunders, tied her to a table and tortured her by sawing off her left foot, then trying to cut off her right foot. But the saw broke.
Massey, while jailed on drug charges, shared details of the slaying with two detainees, telling the first detainee that he participated in the torture-killing.

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Prelim. hearing set for 2 in Okla. woman's death

September 18, 2012 15:08 GMT
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A preliminary hearing will be held in January for two men accused in the death of a 19-year-old Oklahoma woman whose dismembered body was found stuffed in a duffel bag.

Oklahoma County Assistant District Attorney Jimmy Harmon said Tuesday the hearing will be conducted Jan. 23 and Jan. 25 for Jimmy Lee Massey Jr. and Luis Ruiz.
They were charged in July with first-degree murder in the death of Carina Saunders, whose body was discovered behind a Bethany grocery store. An autopsy report revealed Saunders had been decapitated and her body was missing hands and feet. She was identified by dental records.

The report says Saunders was murdered but does not indicate when she died. Authorities believe Saunders' slaying was connected to a drug ring, human trafficking and prostitution.

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