1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: Crime Alart hourly update, breaking crime news Now. 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 2: I'm Nicole park In disturbing news out of New Mexico. 3 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 2: A mother faced arraignment this week on charges of child 4 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 2: abuse and allegations that she and her husband sexually assaulted 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 2: their sixteen year old daughter and her siblings while living 6 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 2: in extreme conditions on a sprawling thirty five acre plot 7 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 2: of land, which included living in underground tunnels. This, according 8 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 2: to prosecutors, Valerie Cordell, forty one, from Demming, pleaded not 9 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 2: guilty during her arraignment in Luna County. As recorded in 10 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 2: online court documents, She faces sixteen counts of child abuse, 11 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 2: one count of criminal sexual penetration, and one count of 12 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 2: conspiracy to commit child abuse. This following her arrest. According 13 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: to prosecutors, Valerie and her husband, Melvin Cordell, fifty, were 14 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,279 Speaker 2: involved in an abusive treatment of their daughter, cohersing her 15 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 2: into sexual acts with her siblings in front of other 16 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 2: ad adults. The six Judicial District Attorney's Office reported in 17 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:07,839 Speaker 2: a press release that during a four month investigation, authorities 18 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 2: discovered that the family of nine was residing in a 19 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 2: semi rural area of Luna County. Investigators described the living 20 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 2: environment as inhumane like squalors, detailing a rundown trailer, several 21 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 2: unusable camping trailers, abandoned cars, decaying food, heaps of trash 22 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 2: buckets filled with human waste scattered throughout the properties, while 23 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 2: the children were living in man made tunnels underground. Authorities 24 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 2: became aware of the situation in October and began their 25 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:44,119 Speaker 2: investigation after receiving tips from New Mexico State Police about 26 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 2: the alleged sexual abuse occurring at their residence. The couple's 27 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 2: seven children, ages between six months and sixteen years old, 28 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 2: have been placed in protective custody by the state. The 29 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 2: DA's office indicated that authorities were initially informed of a 30 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 2: child who had been sexually assaulted by her father since 31 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 2: she was thirteen years old, spanning four years. The children 32 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 2: were reportedly found living in filthy conditions, spending their nights 33 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 2: on a mattress in a semi underground cave tunnel, or 34 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 2: trying to seek shelter in a dilapidated vehicle. The sixteen 35 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 2: year old victim allegedly told authorities that she had been 36 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:28,399 Speaker 2: pregnant at least twice before, with one pregnancy occurring when 37 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 2: she was just sixteen years old and another at fourteen. 38 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 2: According to local news outlets KRQB, prosecutors described the Cordell 39 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 2: property as resembling a quote city trash landfill, with trash 40 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 2: and spoiled food scattered everywhere alongside the underground tunnels. The 41 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 2: surrounding desert landscape was said to be filled with rundown 42 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,959 Speaker 2: campers and cars. Melvin Cordell is set to be arraigned 43 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 2: on May five. The couple is being held without bond. 44 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: How could a beautiful, young first grade teacher be stabbed 45 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: twenty times, including in the back, allegedly die of suicide? Yes, 46 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:13,079 Speaker 1: that was the medical examiner's official ruling after a closed 47 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: door meeting. He first named it a homicide. Why what 48 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: happened to Ellen Greenberg a huge American miscarriage of justice. 49 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: For an in depth look at the facts, see what 50 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: Happened to Ellen on Amazon. All proceeds to the National 51 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 52 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 2: More crime injustice news After this. Nicholas Carrol Chick, twenty, 53 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 2: has been sentenced to forty five years in prison after 54 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 2: pleading guilty to second degree murder. These charges arose from 55 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 2: the tragic death of Alexa Bartel who was killed on 56 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 2: April nineteen, two, twenty twenty three, when a large rock 57 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 2: was thrown through her car window. As part of a 58 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 2: plea agreement with prosecutors, Carol Chick admitted to his charges 59 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 2: and agreed to testify against his co defendant, Joshua Koenig 60 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 2: in return for a lighter sentence. He took the stand 61 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 2: twice during the trial, and prosecutors from the First Judicial 62 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 2: District Attorney's office confirmed that he met the conditions of 63 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 2: his plea deal. The judge sentenced Carol Chick to forty 64 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,720 Speaker 2: five years for the murder charge, which included the violent 65 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:34,359 Speaker 2: crime enhancement, and an additional twenty four years for the 66 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,799 Speaker 2: attempted murder charge. However, these sentences will run concurrently, totaling 67 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 2: forty five years, after which he will serve five years 68 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 2: of prole for the murder and three years for the 69 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 2: attempt During the hearing, Carol Chick expressed remorse, saying I 70 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 2: will forever have to live with the fact that my 71 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 2: desire to impress people, what I thought was funny, what 72 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 2: I thought looked cool to my peers killed a woman. 73 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 2: I hope that one day you will f it in 74 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 2: your hearts to forgive me, he said. The victim's mother 75 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,799 Speaker 2: addressed the court, describing the night of the incident, saying, 76 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 2: these three spent the evening laughing, hunting, and looking for destruction. 77 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,919 Speaker 2: She requested that the judge imposed the maximum sentence of 78 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,679 Speaker 2: seventy two years on the boy. Deputy District Attorney Brian 79 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 2: Chase argued that Carol Chick was already receiving a reduced 80 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 2: sentence by avoiding a first degree murder charge. Chase stated, 81 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 2: given the seriousness of the offense, there's no way to 82 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 2: atone what the three of them did expect to impose 83 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 2: a substantial sentence. She added, there's sadness attached to that, 84 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 2: but it is a measure of justice that must be required. 85 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,159 Speaker 2: Carol Chick testified on the night of Bartel's death, he 86 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:46,039 Speaker 2: handed Koenig the nine pound rock that ultimately killed the woman. 87 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 2: Following the incident, he and co defendant Zachary Qualk drove 88 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 2: past the crash site and took photos of the woman 89 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 2: instead of checking on her. Quawk was the first to 90 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 2: accept a plea deal, followed by Carol Chick. In May 91 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,600 Speaker 2: of Trees twenty twenty four. Koenik, who threw the rock 92 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 2: that caused Bartel's death was convicted a first degree murder 93 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 2: last week, facing a mandatory life sentence without the possibility 94 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 2: of parole. For the latest crime injustice news, follow crime 95 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 2: alert hourly update on your favorite podcasting app with this 96 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 2: crime Alert. I'm Nicol Hardy.