Suvechha Sarkar
Vanessa Tsosie was a dutiful mother, a loving sister, and a hard-working woman. However, her life changed forever when she was brutally killed in November 2017 in Farmington, New Mexico. The horrifying crime left the community completely stunned, and her family entirely distraught. The investigation soon revealed that catching the killer was no longer possible, owing to an unexpected twist. Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Murder Tapes: The Girl in the Park’ revisits the case along with real-time body cam footage, interviews of suspects, and how a DNA match came too late. It also features interviews with officials who investigated the case and her loved ones.
Vanessa Tsosie Was Found Dead in a Park After a 911 Call in the Morning
Vanessa Tsosie was born on April 8, 1988, in Shiprock, New Mexico, and brought immense joy to the lives of her mother, Karen Tsosie, and father. Growing up, she had always been loved and protected by her parents and older sister, Fredericka. Eventually, she moved with her family to Red Valley, Arizona. Vanessa had a gentle spirit that naturally led her to show utmost respect to her elders. She was closest to her grandfather, a man who immersed himself in medicinal practices. Vanessa loved his company and often followed him around during his visits to people. She was a brilliant individual who had been in the National Honor Society and enjoyed participating in activities like the Spelling Bee.
In the later parts of her life, Vanessa embraced motherhood with open arms as she welcomed her two beautiful daughters into the world. In order to create a better life for them, she began working at Red Valley-Cove High School in Arizona. Vanessa was slowly stepping into a brighter future when her life came to an abrupt halt on November 5, 2017. Around 7:06 am, a local from the area found a woman lying injured in Brook Haven Park West at 901 Glade Lane Park in Farmington, New Mexico. The passerby swiftly called 911 to report the discovery of a woman they presumed to be dead. When the officials reached the scene, they discovered the woman dead on the stairs. Multiple signs of foul play were found at the scene.
The authorities spotted blood stains on the top of the stairs and found evidence of sexual assault. Detectives discovered a partial footprint near the remains, along with a bloody jacket lying over her. Due to the lack of ID cards and a wallet, identifying her became a challenge. Ultimately, police released pictures of her belongings, like black Nike skater-style low-cut sneakers with large pink swooshes, a black knit sweater, and blue jeans with holes on Facebook. Fredericka identified the sneakers from the blood stain on its side, which she recollected was from a prior injury her sister Vanessa had. Hence, it helped the authorities identify the remains as belonging to a 29-year-old Native American woman named Vanessa. Although they found signs of blunt force trauma to the head, the exact cause of death remained undetermined.
Information From an Inmate Brought a Breakthrough in Vanessa’s Murder
Detectives first questioned the locals, revealing that one of them had heard a woman crying and running towards the park on the fateful day. The witness further stated that Vanessa was being followed by a man wearing a black hoodie-like jacket. It led officials to the crime scene, where they found a man named Bruce with similar clothing. They also discovered that his shoe had red stains consistent with blood. However, during questioning, he claimed it was from his fight with his brother, George. Meanwhile, Karen and Fredericka came forward to reveal that they knew both Bruce and George because they lived down the street from their home in Red Valley, Arizona, during their younger years. Furthermore, Karen stated that when she last spoke to Vanessa, she had heard an unrecognized male voice.
Following the call on Saturday, Vanessa’s family could no longer contact her. On November 14, 2017, George was arrested for shoplifting. When the officials questioned him, he claimed that he and Bruce were at their home watching movies on November 5, 2017. In the meantime, an inmate came forward, informing the police of an individual who had admitted to raping Vanessa. He further added that CCTV footage at a Walmart had captured the person. It led them to Kyle, who confessed that he had actually lied to scare people. All of their DNA swabs were reportedly collected and sent for testing. When the results came in after months, they provided the detectives with a match to the DNA found at the crime scene. The match came from the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) for a person named Jimmy.
Alvin Nelson Died by Suicide Before He Could Be Charged in Vanessa’s Murder
The case took a turn when Jimmy honestly admitted on May 7, 2018, that he and his friend, Eric, had come to Farmington for drinking, and he passed out in the car. He informed the police that when he woke up, he saw a woman in the back seat, who called her home using his phone. Since it matched the accounts given by Karen about her last call with Vanessa, the officials confirmed that it was her. Jimmy continued that they had gone to the park drinking, where another man, Alvin Nelson, joined them. However, Jimmy reportedly told the police how he had eventually left the location. Alvin was arrested for shoplifting shortly after the homicide on November 12, 2017.
Investigators tracked Alvin’s residence to Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, where the Farmington police didn’t have jurisdiction. Although they managed to find him with the help of the Navajo Nation investigators, to their dismay, he had died by suicide on May 17, 2018. However, they collected his DNA sample for investigation. Since the detectives only had Eric left as a lead, they questioned him after his arrest in Colorado on April 15, 2019. Although he initially claimed that he did not know Jimmy or Vanessa, he later admitted that he witnessed Alvin kill Vanessa. He alleged that he had also attacked Alvin after the horrific incident and left the scene because he was scared.
Since Eric’s DNA did not match the ones found at the scene, the officials could not charge him with being involved in the crime as an accomplice or the killer. They were shocked when the blood found on Vanessa’s remains turned out to be a match for Alvin. As per the show, the detectives believed that Alvin Nelson was responsible for the murder of Vanessa. However, they were unable to bring him to justice since he had already taken his own life. Speaking on the matter, the detective stated, “I feel like the streets of our community are probably a little safer without Alvin due to his history.” Thus, with heavy hearts, Vanessa’s family and friends strive to move forward by keeping her memories close.
