# Let's do this criminal thing "out in the desert"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [March 30, 2021, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043 "2021-03-30T19:59:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/41 "2021-03-31T17:20:26Z")
And there were these 11 bodies found buried in New Mexico.
> **[West Mesa murders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Mesa_murders)**
>
> Pages for logged out editors learn more
>
> The West Mesa Murders are the killings of eleven women whose remains were found buried in 2009 in the desert on the West Mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Several suspects have been named, but none were arrested or charged. While the killings were initially believed to be the work of a serial killer, the involvement of a sex trafficking ring has been suspected.
> An anonymous tip to authorities at APD and FBI linked the murders to a s...
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/42 "2021-03-31T17:36:48Z")
One possible problem with desert disposal is there are a lot of folks who like nothing better than taking their off-road toys down random tracks out in the middle of nowhere. If you see a dirt road off the highway leading to the desert horizon there’s a good chance someone will be exploring it in their 4x4 sometime in the not-too-distant future.
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### Author:  [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/43 "2021-03-31T17:51:29Z")
Another is with the increasing popularity of recreational drone flying and 4K resolution cameras, a “remote patch of ground” is becoming an increasingly scarce resource. The possibility of being incidentally surveilled by a casual hobbyist is much greater than it was twenty years ago and engaging in something like digging a grave or dragging a body is going to be an obvious giveaway that something is wrong.
Stranger
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### Author:  [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/44 "2021-03-31T19:31:32Z")
If it’s near a road, the desert is no better for isolated nefarious doings than somewhere in the woods near a road. The advantage of the desert is that it’s easier to blaze your own trail. Unfortunately, unlike other environments, the tracks you leave may last a long time.
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### Author:  [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/45 "2021-03-31T19:44:08Z")
> [@Crankyhillbilly](#):
>
> I think it would much easier to do something secretly in the woods than out in the desert.
Not too far from here and not all that long ago, some city people dumped a body in the woods.
It was promptly found by the farmer who owned the woods, cued in by his dog. The dumpers were found, arrested, and convicted of various charges related to murder.
Desert I can’t speak to. But I wouldn’t recommend woods.
> [@Bill\_Door](#):
>
> How often have I read about someone being discovered in a hastily dug shallow grave. Compare that to the number of bodies found in properly dug graves. It’s a hundred to one difference.
How would you know what the comparative percentage was, though?
[checks username] Oh.
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### Author:  [@plankter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plankter)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/46 "2021-03-31T19:48:08Z")
“I learned a lot from the Jones tragedy. And now, today, I want to find him, where he’s buried, where he lies. I want to pay my respects.”
That was a hard story to read, **Bullitt** , but thank you for posting it.
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### Author:  [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/47 "2021-03-31T20:32:49Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#):
>
> [checks username] Oh.
Today I learned **Bill\_Door** isn’t a real name.
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> When I’d see buzzards in the desert, my thought was always ‘Gee, something died. OK, back to ~~digging this hole~~ what I was doing.’’
I’m always happy to see buzzards in the distance because it reminds me to dig a proper grave for my latest serial killer victim. Can’t be too careful.
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### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/48 "2021-03-31T20:42:29Z")
> [@Horatius](#):
>
> > [@Crankyhillbilly](#):
> >
> > I question the wisdom of doing bad things in the desert. You can see for miles and there easily could be someone watching that you can’t know is there.
>
> I suppose that depends on how many hills there are. Not all deserts are flat. Find a nice little valley between some hills, and you’re out of sight.
That’s why I was always confused that Walter and Jesse had their RV parked on top of a ridge.
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### Author:  [@Crankyhillbilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crankyhillbilly)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/49 "2021-03-31T20:59:59Z")
Ranchers. Most of the desert is grazed and they use them to find dead cows. Even in areas that aren’t there isn’t a lot of animals to die so I could see someone being curious and checking it out.
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### Author:  [@Crankyhillbilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crankyhillbilly)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/50 "2021-03-31T21:07:22Z")
The desert would likely be easier digging but unless you were careful about where you were at, like behind rocks or something, someone very far away could see you doing it.
Ted Bundy just dumped his bodies for the wildlife to dispose of and it worked for him so maybe it is the best way. These days though there are a lot more people around so I think the chances of getting caught are much higher.
Pretty much anywhere would require some luck to transport the body and then dispose of it without anyone seeing. I don’t think i’m that lucky so I haven’t tried it. Good to have threads like this though just in case.
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### Author:  [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/51 "2021-03-31T21:12:07Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#):
>
> Unfortunately, unlike other environments, the tracks you leave may last a long time.
What if you walk backwards?
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### Author:  [@Crankyhillbilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crankyhillbilly)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/52 "2021-03-31T21:15:38Z")
Not quite desert but when I lived in Denver it was common for them to find bodies in the prairie around the city from city killers who thought they had gotten rid of them where no one would find them.
They also had spring bone season in the mountains when the hikers got out after the snow melted and found all the hunters who had died of heart attacks or exposure the previous fall.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/53 "2021-03-31T21:16:30Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#):
>
> > [@Crankyhillbilly](#):
> >
> > Since it is an area with little wildlife I would expect that anytime buzzard are circling someone would check it out.
>
> Who monitors buzzards that carefully?
Pipeline companies that handle natural gas. Turkey vultures are attracted to that stench they put in the gas to make a leak evident to humans. The pipelines near me, which run near some bike trails, have placards telling people to call 911 and the pipeline company if they see birds circling over the pipeline at any point. Not sure if Southwestern “buzzards” would do the same or not.
Suffice to say, it’s not always a pipeline leak.
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### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/54 "2021-03-31T21:20:19Z")
> [@Crankyhillbilly](#):
>
> The desert would likely be easier digging but unless you were careful about where you were at, like behind rocks or something, someone very far away could see you doing it.
> Ted Bundy just dumped his bodies for the wildlife to dispose of and it worked for him so maybe it is the best way.
Yeah, probably. He should give seminars.
Oh, wait.
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### Author:  [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/55 "2021-03-31T21:50:26Z")
> [@eschereal](#):
>
> AUI, the simplest, most complete way to eliminate a body is to take it to Yellowstone NP and (at night, of course) drop it into one of those pools
Why would it disappear if dropped in a pool? People swim in pools you know.
Unless you meant some certain type of pool that’s different. But I don’t know. You didn’t say.
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### Author:  [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/56 "2021-03-31T21:52:16Z")
Stick the body in a jumble of brittle bush or some of the other ground plants. If you’re in Arizona you’re not going go be very far from National Forest land. Drop a body off a mountain. There are several places you could toss a body on your way to/from Mt. Lemmon in the Coronado National Forest and never have to worry.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/57 "2021-03-31T21:55:43Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#):
>
> > [@eschereal](#):
> >
> > AUI, the simplest, most complete way to eliminate a body is to take it to Yellowstone NP and (at night, of course) drop it into one of those pools
>
> Why would it disappear if dropped in a pool? People swim in pools you know.
>
> Unless you meant some certain type of pool that’s different. But I don’t know. You didn’t say.
Pretty sure he was referring to one of the pools in the geothermal areas. [We’ve had prior threads on the topic.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellowstone-geyser-guy/761570/3)[More than one.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-die-on-a-pool-of-molten-steel/691751/31) Seems that pool of boiling acid are pretty good at rendering a human being (or other critter) into clear broth in a very short time period.
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### Author:  [@Crankyhillbilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crankyhillbilly)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/58 "2021-03-31T21:59:14Z")
Yellowstone National Park has lots of hot springs and pools. They would basically boil the body. I think they may be acidic as well. Although there are some people swim in I would assume the poster was referring to the ones to hot to do that in. Given that they have to remove trash form them I am not sure if a body would dissolve or not. Given the large number of people around I wouldn’t like the chances of success.
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### Author:  [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/59 "2021-03-31T22:01:41Z")
> [@Crankyhillbilly](#):
>
> Yellowstone National Park has lots of hot springs and pools. They would basically boil the body. I think they may be acidic as well. Although there are some people swim in I would assume the poster was referring to the ones to hot to do that in.
Thanks. I only wish that was explained in the post I quoted. How was the reader supposed to know that?
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### Author:  [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2021, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-do-this-criminal-thing-out-in-the-desert/939043/60 "2021-03-31T22:02:26Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> Seems that pool of boiling acid are pretty good at rendering a human being (or other critter) into clear broth in a very short time period.
Yeah. If only the poster had indicated they were talking about pools of acid.
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