S1: E6 – The Toy Box Killer, Part 1

Summary

American Homicide: S1E6 – The Toy Box Killer, Part 1

Introduction

In this gripping episode of American Homicide, hosted by Sloan Glass, listeners are taken deep into the harrowing case of David Parker Ray, infamously known as the "Toy Box Killer." Set against the backdrop of Elephant Butte, New Mexico, this episode meticulously unravels the disturbing crimes committed by Ray and his accomplice, Cindy Hendy. Through detailed narratives, interviews with law enforcement, and firsthand accounts from victims, the episode paints a chilling portrait of one of America’s most sinister serial killers.

The Abduction of Cynthia Vigil (00:00 - 04:55)

The story begins with the harrowing account of Cynthia Vigil, a 22-year-old sex worker from Albuquerque. On March 20, 1999, Cynthia violated her personal safety rule by meeting a client in his RV on Central Avenue, a notoriously dangerous stretch of Old Route 66. Upon entering the RV, she encountered a man flashing a counterfeit silver badge, falsely declaring her under arrest for solicitation. Suspicious of the badge’s authenticity, Cynthia's instincts spurred her to flee, but her attempt was thwarted by the sudden appearance of Cindy, the accomplice, who violently subdued her.

“I just knew something wasn't right at that moment.” – Cynthia Vigil [07:39]

The Toy Box Torture Chamber (04:56 - 15:17)

Cynthia was brutally transported to a trailer in Elephant Butte, where Ray had converted a soundproof storage container into a makeshift torture chamber ominously labeled "Satan’s Den." Inside, Cynthia was subjected to unimaginable torment, including electric shocks and physical abuse. The room, known as the "Toy Box," was equipped with various instruments of torture and surveillance cameras, indicating Ray’s methodical approach to his heinous acts.

“He shocked me with a device he made. He connected it to my breast and shocked me for hours.” – Cynthia Vigil [14:35]

Cynthia’s Fight for Survival (15:18 - 24:12)

Despite the relentless abuse, Cynthia exhibited remarkable resilience and determination to survive. Over the course of three days, she devised a strategy to escape by exploiting a momentary lapse in vigilance from her captors. Utilizing an ice pick, Cynthia managed to injure Cindy, seize the landline phone, and make a desperate 911 call. Although her initial attempts were thwarted by Hendy, Cynthia's escape was partially successful, leading her to a nearby residence where she sought immediate help.

“I got the ice pick, and I stabbed her with it.” – Cynthia Vigil [21:56]

The Investigation Unfolds (24:13 - 37:46)

Sergeant Dave Elston of the Sierra County Police Department found himself at the center of this gruesome case. Upon arriving at Ray’s residence, Elston was confronted with the horrifying evidence of Ray’s crimes, including the Toy Box and grisly tools used for torture. The discovery prompted a thorough investigation that revealed Ray’s meticulous documentation of his crimes, including videotapes and detailed journals. Psychological profilers from the FBI were brought in to understand Ray’s twisted psyche, uncovering a pattern that suggested he was responsible for numerous disappearances and murders across the region.

“There was a 1970s style lamp that had the green glass bulb on the bottom and it was broken all over the ground.” – Dave Elston [26:12]

The Arrest and Community Impact (37:47 - 41:59)

As evidence mounted, Ray and Hendy were arrested and charged with multiple counts of kidnapping, sexual assault, and aggravated battery. The quiet town of Elephant Butte was shaken to its core as rumors swirled about the number of Ray’s victims, many of whom were speculated to be disposed of in the vast expanse of Elephant Butte Lake. The community grappled with the revelation that a seemingly amicable and respected individual could harbor such malevolence.

“He was always friendly with me. It was kind of shocking just knowing that this individual that I've known for that long was into what he was doing.” – Dave Elston [25:20]

Expanding the Horror (42:00 - End)

The investigation took a darker turn as additional victims came forward, each adding layers to the already complex case. Angelica Montano, another survivor, detailed her own ordeal, which further implicated Ray and Hendy in a series of abductions and tortures. However, the prosecution faced significant challenges in presenting the case to a jury, grappling with the gruesome nature of the evidence and the testimonies of the traumatized victims.

Conclusion

The Toy Box Killer, Part 1 lays a foundation of fear, meticulously detailing the descent into darkness orchestrated by David Parker Ray. Through Cynthia Vigil’s harrowing escape and the subsequent investigation, the episode underscores the pervasive impact of Ray’s crimes on the community of Elephant Butte and the broader discourse on serial crime in America. As the investigation progresses into Part 2, listeners are left with an unsettling anticipation of uncovering the full extent of Ray’s atrocities.

“With three victims, prosecutors worked to make sure they kept these monsters behind bars.” – Sloan Glass [41:39]

Notable Quotes

• Cynthia Vigil [07:39]: “I just knew something wasn't right at that moment.”

• Cynthia Vigil [14:35]: “He shocked me with a device he made. He connected it to my breast and shocked me for hours.”

• Dave Elston [26:12]: “There was a 1970s style lamp that had the green glass bulb on the bottom and it was broken all over the ground.”

• Dave Elston [25:20]: “He was always friendly with me. It was kind of shocking just knowing that this individual that I've known for that long was into what he was doing.”

• Sloan Glass [41:39]: “With three victims, prosecutors worked to make sure they kept these monsters behind bars.”

Final Thoughts

American Homicide’s meticulous exploration of the Toy Box Killer case offers listeners a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in unraveling such a dark chapter in American criminal history. By focusing on victim stories, law enforcement challenges, and the psychological underpinnings of the perpetrators, the episode serves as a poignant reminder of the resilience of survivors and the relentless pursuit of justice by those sworn to protect.

Transcript

[Aldous Hodge]

Now streaming on Prime Video. You can call me Detective Alex Cross. Based on characters created by James Patterson. We have to catch this serial killer. I don't kill for fun. And created by Ben Watkins. This killer thinks he's the smartest guy in the room. Aldous Hodge is DC's funnest Alex Cross. If we don't find him soon, we may never have another chance.

[Sloan Glass]

Clock's ticking.

[Aldous Hodge]

You think you can stop him? I know I can. Because I know him better than he knows himself. Cross A new original series only on Prime Video. Watch now.

[Narrator]

From audio up, the creators of Stephen King Strawberry Spring Comes the Unborn. A shocking true story.

[Sloan Glass]

My babies.

[Aldous Hodge]

Please.

[Sloan Glass]

My babies.

[Narrator]

One woman, two lives and a secret she would kill to protect.

[Cynthia Vigil]

She went crazy, shot and killed all her farm animals, slaughtered them in front of the kids, Tried to burn their house down.

[Narrator]

Listen to the unborn on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sloan Glass]

Hi listeners, I'm Sloan Glass, host of the American Homicide Podcast, and I'm excited to share this riveting story with you. I'm also excited to tell you that you can now get access to all episodes of season one of American Homicide 100% ad free and one week early through the iHeart True Crime plus subscription available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Plus your get access to other char topping true crime shows you'll love, like the Girlfriends Betrayal There and Gone South Street Creating a the Story of Bitcont Paper Ghosts, Piketon Massacre, Murder Homes and more. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for IHEART True Crime and subscribe today.

[Dave Elston]

It was a 911 call that came in indicating that there was a woman running with no clothes on and had a chain wrapped around her neck.

[Sloan Glass]

It was a 911 call that made the New Mexico State Police think they were listening to some kind of prank.

[Dave Elston]

The victim had been kidnapped and tortured for several days. They found what essentially was a torture chamber with a placard on it that indicated Satan's Den.

[Darren White]

You know right away that everything that happened in there was awful, was just God awful.

[Sloan Glass]

And surprisingly, it all happened in the tiny tourist town of Elephant Butte, New Mexico.

[Darren White]

This is something we need never would have expected.

[Sloan Glass]

It was something they never would have suspected because it went from a case about sexual assault to something even darker.

[Dave Elston]

The FBI has estimated he's responsible for between 45 and 60 homicides.

[Darren White]

It would be the most sick and twisted case that any of us would be involved in.

[Sloan Glass]

My name is Sloan Glass and this is American Homicide, a show where we take you across the country to investigate some of America's deadliest crimes. We'll explore how these murders are shaped by their unique landscapes and in turn, how these tragedies have shaped the fabric of these American communities forever. Today, we're in Elephant Butte, New Mexico for part one of the Toy Box Killer. A note for our listeners. This episode includes detailed accounts of sexual violence and contains subject matter which may not be suitable for all audiences. Discretion is advised. From the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the wide open desert, New Mexico is a combination of natural beauty and man made wonders. Ironically, for a state known for its wide open desert landscape, one of New Mexico's top tourist destinations is a lake located in Elephant Butte.

[Darren White]

Elephant Butte is a state park and there is this man made lake that's about 23 miles long.

[Sloan Glass]

Darren White worked for New Mexico's Department of Public Safety.

[Darren White]

Well, New Mexico is the desert and it does get hot and so people like to cool off and there's not many places to do that. And Elephant Butte is one of them.

[Sloan Glass]

Known as the diamond in the desert, the crown jewel of Elephant Butte is Elephant Butte Dam. That huge man made lake is a result of the dam's construction in the early 1900s. Locals once joked that the rock formation in the area resembled an elephant lying down, which led to the name Elephant Butte.

[Darren White]

It's the playground for New Mexico in the summer.

[Sloan Glass]

Every year from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the sleepy town of Elephant Butte transforms into one of the state's biggest tourist attractions.

[Darren White]

This tiny little town of maybe a few thousand people grows to over 100,000 people that come down every year to use the lake, to fish, to camp.

[Sloan Glass]

But outside of tourist season, the area is fairly desolate. The thousand or so full time residents are mainly retirees.

[Darren White]

They love the area. They love the lake year round. But many of them will tell you too that they just want to be left to themselves and enjoy their quiet little piece of the state.

[Sloan Glass]

The state park is part of the city of Elephant Butte, a tiny desert community with one stoplight. It didn't even become an incorporated city until 1998. Prior to that, it was considered part of the neighboring community of Truth or Consequences. Strange name for a town, Truth or Consequences. It conjures up images of the old west and lawlessness. But that wasn't the case. They came by the name in a very whimsical way. The town got its name from a popular radio game show in the 1950s called, you guessed it, Truth or Consequences. They Had a contest. Name your city after the show and you'd win a parade and a visit from the show's host, Mr. Senator, I hereby christen the city of some 8,000 people. Truth or consequences, New Mexico.

[Cynthia Vigil]

Let it.

[Sloan Glass]

Sounds kind of crazy, but I guess in those days, that's what you had to do to have a great parade. Outside of that, the town was pretty quiet. 150 miles north of elephant butte is Albuquerque. And that's where a 22 year old sex worker named Cynthia vigil lived in the 1990s. Here's Cynthia.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I didn't have the best childhood.

[Sloan Glass]

Cynthia was abused and molested as a child and later turned to the streets where she used drugs and sold her body.

[Cynthia Vigil]

When I was out there, the homelessness, the in and out of motels, the prostitution, being on drugs, I've been there and I've done that.

[Sloan Glass]

Central avenue, which is part of the famous Old Route 66, cuts through downtown Albuquerque. But there's a dangerous stretch of central avenue known for high levels of crime. And that's where Cynthia was working on March 20, 1999. That day, she learned that a man wanted to meet her in his rv. That was a no no for Cynthia. She made it a rule to never meet customers in their RVs. That day, she'd break that rule, and it would change Cynthia's life forever. As Cynthia opened the front door and entered the rv, she found herself standing in front of a tall, thin man with a mustache and slick back hair. He offered her $30 for oral sex. But in her gut, she had a very bad feeling.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I just knew something wasn't right at that moment.

[Sloan Glass]

The man then flashed a silver badge and told Cynthia she was under arrest for solicitation.

[Cynthia Vigil]

At first, I was a little in shock. I had never seen a badge like his.

[Sloan Glass]

The badge seemed small and didn't look legit.

[Cynthia Vigil]

But then I was like, I've never known the cops to do that kind of undercover work.

[Sloan Glass]

The man started to handcuff her, and that's when Cynthia decided to run away.

[Cynthia Vigil]

So after one handcuff was on my wrist, I tried getting away.

[Sloan Glass]

Cynthia spun around and used her free hand to reach for the door.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I was almost at the door when he yelled, Cindy. And I stopped.

[Sloan Glass]

And then out of nowhere, another woman named Cindy emerged from a door in the back of the rv.

[Cynthia Vigil]

She came out of the closet and shocked me at the cattle produced it, knocked me over, and they pulled me back and handcuffed me to the cabinets.

[Sloan Glass]

That's right, Hughes. A cattle prod literally Shocked and stunned, Cynthia's handcuffed to a cabinet in the back of the RV that's now headed to God knows where. The man with the band drove while his accomplice Cindy, sat in the passenger seat. Cindy appeared much younger than the man. She was thin, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. What did these two want from Cynthia and where were they taking her?

[Cynthia Vigil]

I never had a chance to think like what was going to happen long term.

[Sloan Glass]

And Cynthia decided she was not going to stick around to find out. She knew if she could free herself from the cabinet, she had a chance to escape. After 10 minutes of trying, Cynthia managed to unscrew a bolt on the cabinet and get her hands free. They were still handcuffed, but she was no longer bound to the cabinet, and.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I knew I had to get away now.

[Sloan Glass]

She waited for the RV to slow down so she could jump out. But things didn't go as planned.

[Cynthia Vigil]

At one point, he had to slam on the brakes and I tumbled forward.

[Sloan Glass]

The driver and his accomplice noticed that Cynthia was loose. They jumped to the back of the rv. Cindy pointed a gun at Cynthia while the driver removed her clothes, placed a leather mask over her head, and tied her up.

[Cynthia Vigil]

And I couldn't see nothing.

[Sloan Glass]

Desperate and afraid, Cynthia tried her luck with Cindy.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I was begging her to let me go. I was using every excuse that I could think of.

[Sloan Glass]

She was trying to talk to her, woman to woman. So she was shocked by Cindy's response.

[Cynthia Vigil]

All she told me was that they were going to take me and rape me and let me go.

[Sloan Glass]

I should warn you that things from here get more graphic. Naked and tied up in the back of an rv, Cynthia had nothing but time to think about what awaited her.

[Cynthia Vigil]

The drive seemed like forever.

[Sloan Glass]

Two hours would pass before the RV pulled into an unpaved road and came to a stop. Seconds later, the door to the RV opened. That's when panic rushed over her body.

[Cynthia Vigil]

When they finally took me out of the rv, I had no clothes on. I had handcuffs and shackles on.

[Sloan Glass]

It was eerily quiet.

[Cynthia Vigil]

But then they put duct tape around my face.

[Sloan Glass]

Cynthia couldn't see a thing as the two led her to a 22 foot cargo trailer that sat beside a small white house in the middle of the desert.

[Cynthia Vigil]

And I couldn't figure out why nobody was seeing me naked. Walking from the RV into the trailer.

[Sloan Glass]

A handful of prefabricated homes dotted the area, surrounded by Elephant Butte Lake in the distance.

[Cynthia Vigil]

They took me inside and they sat me on the bed and they put a metal collar around My neck that padlocked, I shackled my feet to the bed and my hands to the bed.

[Sloan Glass]

Cynthia didn't know it at the time, but she sat inside a room that the man with the badge called the toy box. But don't let that innocent name fool you. The toy box was actually a torture chamber that belonged to the man who kidnapped her, David Parker Ray. During the day, the 59 year old was a maintenance man with the New Mexico Parks Department. At night, he lived down his dark sexual fantasies in an old white metal storage container that he converted into a soundproof torture chamber. An old video camera fixed to the wall, pointed right at the chair that sat in the middle of the room. His partner in crime, Cindy Hendy, wasn't just his accomplice in the kidnappings and sexual assault, but was his girlfriend.

[Cynthia Vigil]

They went about their business like it was a normal life.

[Sloan Glass]

Incredibly, the two watched movies and carried on as though there wasn't a naked woman strapped to a chair in their house. At some point, Cynthia believed she was drugged and blacked out. And when she woke up, there was a cassette tape player next to her. Playing a tape player. It was the voice of the man from the RV explaining what would happen in his toy box.

[Cynthia Vigil]

It started off saying, hello, bitch.

Okay, bitch, we both know what you've been brought here for a lot of.

F. And telling me why I was there.

I'm into bondage and S and m. It's kind of hard to find willing partners. That goes for that sh. So when I get the urge, I go out, buy me some good looking little turns me on, kidnap her and keep her in my playroom for a while. And this time it's your turn.

[Sloan Glass]

That's really hard to listen to. In the recordings, David calmly and matter of factly outlined all the disturbing things he intended to do to Cynthia.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I'm going to experiment on you. I've done it to a lot of women over the years.

[Sloan Glass]

The voice said that once he got tired of his victims, he drugged them and they wouldn't remember a thing about what happened.

[Cynthia Vigil]

If you knew enough to cause serious problems, you would not be turned loose. You would simply disappear.

[Sloan Glass]

Just before the 45 minute long terrifying tape ended, David Parker Ray presented an offer.

[Cynthia Vigil]

As soon as I turn this tape off, you will have an excellent opportunity to try, to beg for me to turn you loose. I may or may not be able to understand you through the gag, but if you want to, feel free to try, I love to listen to a bag and plead. And this is the end of the tape.

[Sloan Glass]

But not surprisingly, Cynthia was unable to persuade her captors to free her. Instead, she was subjected to three days of unthinkable abuse.

[Cynthia Vigil]

He shocked me with a device he made. He connected it to my breast and shocked me for hours. And then they watched a movie and went to bed. The next morning, they ate breakfast. And then they took me into another room and they put me on a massage table. And he shocked me.

[Sloan Glass]

The pain was excruciating.

[Cynthia Vigil]

That went on for about an hour, hour and a half.

[Sloan Glass]

Eventually, the pain became too much and Cynthia passed out.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I kind of realized I might not go home, that I might die.

[Sloan Glass]

Cynthia woke up shackled to a chair. And across from her was a long wooden coffin. Can you imagine waking up and seeing a coffin? The top was open, and a pillow and white sheet sat inside. And on the walls of his toy box were graphic pictures of women being tortured, along with some rules. Rules like never trust a chain captive.

[Cynthia Vigil]

When they had me laying on the bed and they were going about their business, they were talking about a little girl that they were going to make their sex slave. And they already knew who she was.

[Sloan Glass]

They already had it planned out for Cynthia. That was confirmation of the enormity of the crimes that took place in that trailer.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I never thought for one minute that I was the only girl that that ever happened to.

[Sloan Glass]

By this point, Cynthia's body was covered with bruises and burns. Cynthia was smart. She had a strategy. She tried her best to play by David Parker Ray's Rules in the hopes that he'd eventually get tired of her and let her go.

[Cynthia Vigil]

The next day, he comes and he sits on the bed and he takes the handcuffs and shackles off me. And he went to work.

[Sloan Glass]

It was now Monday morning, and David left the trailer wearing his green Parks Department uniform. Before he returned from work that day, everything would change.

[Aldous Hodge]

Now streaming on Prime Video. You can call me Detective Alex Cross. Based on characters created by James Patterson. Detective Cross, you've been doing this a long time. And you're the best. And created by Ben Watkins. Multiple victims I connected to. This comes a thrilling new scene. Theories? He's a serial killer. I don't care for fun. This Kevin thinks he's the smartest guy in the room. There's a lot of sickos out there. He actually believes he's an artist. You're going to be part of a masterpiece. This is the product of an unbelievable obsession. Aldous Hodge is DC's finest. Alex Cross. If we don't find him soon, we may never have another chance again. 30 years. Knowing Cross, I learned to trust his gut. I get inside his head.

[Sloan Glass]

The clock's ticking.

[Aldous Hodge]

He was hitting my house. He messed with my kids. He's got to be getting close. You think you can stop him? I know I can. Because I know him better than he knows himself. Cross. A new original series only on Prime Video. Watch now.

[Narrator]

In the quiet town of Avella, Pennsylvania, Jared and Christy. Akron seemed to have it all. A whirlwind romance, a new home, and twins on the way. But no one knew was that Christy was hiding a secret so shocking it would tear their world apart.

[Aldous Hodge]

911 response.

[Sloan Glass]

What's your emergency? My babies. Please. My babies.

[Narrator]

One woman, two lives, and the truth more terrifying than anyone could imagine.

[Cynthia Vigil]

They had her as one of the suspects, but they could never prove it.

[Sloan Glass]

You're going to go to jail if you don't come with us right now. Throughout this whole thing, I kept telling myself, nobody's that crazy.

[Cynthia Vigil]

Crazy.

[Narrator]

Uncover the chilling mystery that will leave you questioning everything. A story of the lengths we go to protect our darkest secrets.

[Cynthia Vigil]

She went batshit crazy. Shot and killed all her farm animals. Slaughtered them in front of the kids. Tried to burn their house down.

[Narrator]

Audio up presents the unborn on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sloan Glass]

Hi, listeners. I'm Sloan Glass, host of the American Homicide Podcast, and I'm excited to share this riveting story with you. I'm also excited to tell you that you can now get access to all episodes of season one of American Homicide, 100% ad free and one week early through the I Heart True Crime plus subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Plus you'll get access to other char topping true crime shows you'll love, like the Girlfriends Betrayal There and Gone, South Street Creating a Con, the Story of Vickhan, Paper Ghosts, Piketon Massacre, Murder Homes, and more. So don't wait. Head to Apple podcasts, search for iheartruecrime and subscribe today.

In March 1999, Cynthia Vigil was abducted by a man soliciting sex from her. David Parker Ray and his girlfriend, Cindy Hendy took Cynthia to their soundproof trailer in the desert town of Elephant Butte, New Mexico. There, they sexually assaulted and tortured her.

[Cynthia Vigil]

It was something totally different than any other situation I had been in.

[Sloan Glass]

Cynthia had lost track of time, but it was now Monday, March 22, 1999, the third day she was held captive. That morning, David Parker Ray chained Cynthia to a pole, and then he went to work. This meant his girlfriend, Cindy Hendy was in charge.

[Cynthia Vigil]

She got left with me during the day.

[Sloan Glass]

That afternoon, Cynthia noticed her key to freedom sat on a coffee table just a few feet away, where David Parker Ray left his key ring. She'd seen her abductor use one of those keys to unlock the padlock that currently connected the chain around her neck to the pole. Cynthia was determined to get those keys, but with Cindy Hendy standing guard, she couldn't make her move. Instead, she waited as Cindy spent the day cooking and watching soap operas on an old tv. Never once did she speak until that afternoon when she got a phone call.

[Cynthia Vigil]

She went to the back of the trailer, and I had the opportunity to get the keys.

[Sloan Glass]

The collar around Cynthia's neck had her chained to a pole, but her hands and feet were free, so she stretched her legs as far as they would go and then wrapped her feet around the base of the table. She slowly and carefully pulled the coffee table closer to her while trying to not make any. With the keys within reach, Cynthia scooped them up with her right hand. She tried the first key. It didn't fit. By the time she put the second key in, Cindy Hendy was standing in front of her.

[Cynthia Vigil]

When she came back in the living room and seen I had the keys, she started beating me with a glass lamp.

[Sloan Glass]

The glass broke into a million tiny pieces as Cynthia defensively curled her body into a ball.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I finally got the lock open.

[Sloan Glass]

In a fight for her life, Cynthia ran towards a nearby ice pick.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I got the ice pick, and I stabbed her with it.

[Sloan Glass]

The ice pick slashed Cindy Hendy's face, causing her to fall back in pain. And that's when Cynthia grabbed the landline phone. I dialed 911, but Cindy Hendy snatched the phone back from her. Blood was running down her face as Cindy quickly told the 911 operator that everything was fine and hung up the phone. When she turned around, Cynthia was gone. Cynthia had jumped through a window and was now running as fast as she could to get away from David Parker Ray's house.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I had no clothes on. I had a metal collar on my neck, and I was bleeding from head to toe.

[Sloan Glass]

Her eyes burned from the sunlight as she tried to find somebody, anybody, but there was no one around. As she ran down the dirt road, all she saw were a handful of prefabricated homes and RVs. The collar was still around her neck, and the chain clanked as it dragged on the dirt road. After two blocks of running in a dead sprint, Cynthia got to an intersection. She stopped. The street was paved, and a blue car was headed right towards her. The driver saw her and slowed down.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I tried getting in a car, the lady that was driving by me.

[Sloan Glass]

When the driver saw the bloodied and wild eyed Cynthia, they screamed, rolled up their windows and sped off. Remember, this is a small town. There were no other cars in sight. Cynthia continued running down the road. She passed an intersection and noticed a street sign. It read Bass Road. Ahead was a double wide mobile home. And Cynthia ran straight towards the front door. Much to her surprise, it was unlocked. So she went inside and double locked the door behind her.

[Cynthia Vigil]

I ran into some lady's house and she was doing dishes and I asked her for help and her husband came in and like was in shock. Like stopped in his tracks and couldn't talk. He's just looking at me. And she called 911 and they put a robe on me.

[Dave Elston]

I was at the sheriff's office and a 911 call came into the dispatch center.

[Sloan Glass]

Dave Elston was a sergeant with the Sierra County Police Department.

[Dave Elston]

At first I thought it could have been a joke. A short time after that there was another 911 call that came in indicating that there was a woman running down Bass Road with no clothes on and had a chain wrapped around her neck. And then Moments later, another 911 call came in that there was a woman with no clothes on with a chain around her neck inside a woman's living room asking for help.

[Sloan Glass]

As two deputies responded to the home where Cynthia Vieja was, Sergeant Elston went to the origin of the first 911 call. David Parker Ray's home. But David Parker Wray wasn't just some ordinary suspect to Sergeant Alston.

[Dave Elston]

I knew David Parker Ray personally. He was a friend of mine.

[Sloan Glass]

Imagine knowing this horrible crime had occurred in the small town you were sworn to protect, only to show up to the house and it's someone you know, a person you call a friend. In this small town. David Parker Ray was well known and likable.

[Dave Elston]

He was a mechanic at the New Mexico State Parks here at Elephant Butte. That's how I got to know him. I worked a case once where there was individuals that broke into their police cars and stole their police radios and ended up catching that individual. And I had David Parker Ray testify in my case and he testified and presented himself very well during his testimony on the stand.

[Sloan Glass]

Now, Sergeant Elston and two other officers were standing outside Parker Ray's home in Elephant Butte.

[Dave Elston]

It was a mobile home. I've never been inside of it, but I've been there before and knew where he lived.

[Sloan Glass]

When no one answered the door, the three officers gained entry through a sliding glass door on the side of the home.

[Dave Elston]

And when I walked in, I noticed that there was what appeared to be a hospital bed in the center of the room with a system of chains attached to the ceiling.

[Sloan Glass]

As Sergeant Elston navigated through the room, he heard shards of glass breaking under his shoes.

[Dave Elston]

There was a 1970s style lamp that had the green glass bulb on the bottom and it was broken all over the ground.

[Sloan Glass]

He continued and took inventory of all the bizarre things that surrounded him in his friend's home.

[Dave Elston]

I entered into a room that had a coffin inside of it. And then there was a dresser, drawer style, with a mirror in there that had various types of tools. It had a scalpel, ice pick and small torch. There was also a like a candelabra that was in there that was approximately three feet high maybe, which had a sexual device on top. And then.

[Aldous Hodge]

Now streaming on Prime Video. You can call me Detective Alex Cross. Based on characters created by James Patterson. Detective Cross, you've been doing this a long time. And you're the best. And created by Ben Watkins. Multiple victims I connected. To this comes a thrilling new series. He's a serial killer. I don't kill for fun. This thinks he's the smartest guy in the room. There's a lot of sickos out there. He actually believes he's an artist. You're going to be part of a masterpiece. This is the product of an unbelievable obsession. Aldis Hodge is DC's finest. Alex Cross. If we don't find him soon, we may never have another chance again. 30 years. Knowing Cross, I learned to trust his gut. I get in Sasha's head, the clock's ticking. He was hitting my house. He messed with my kids. He's gotta be getting close. You think you can stop him? I know I can. Because I know him better than he knows himself. Cross. A new original series only on Prime Video. Watch now.

[Narrator]

In the quiet town of Avella, Pennsylvania, Jared and Christy Akron seem to have it all. A whirlwind romance, a home, and twins on the way. What no one knew was that Christy was hiding a secret so shocking it would tear their world apart.

[Aldous Hodge]

91 One Response.

[Sloan Glass]

What's your emergency?

My babies. Please. My babies.

[Narrator]

One woman, two lives, and the truth, more terrifying than anyone could imagine.

[Cynthia Vigil]

They had her as one of the suspects, but they could never prove it.

[Sloan Glass]

You're going to go to jail if you don't come with us right now. Throughout this whole thing, I kept telling myself. Nobody's that crazy crazy.

[Narrator]

Uncover the chilling mystery that will leave you questioning everything. A story of the lengths we go to protect our darkest secrets.

[Cynthia Vigil]

She went batshit crazy. Shot and killed all her farm animals, slaughtered them in front of the kids, Tried to burn their house down.

[Narrator]

Audio up presents the unborn on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sloan Glass]

Hi listeners, I'm Sloan Glass, host of the American Homicide Podcast and I'm excited to share this riveting story with you. I'm also excited to tell you that you can now get access to all episodes of season one of American Homicide 100% ad free and one week early through the iHeart True Crime plus subscription available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Plus you'll get access to other chart topping true crime shows you'll love, like the Girlfriends Betrayal There and Gone South Street Creating a the Story of Bitcont Paper Ghosts, Piketon Massacre, Murder Homes and More. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for iheart True Crime and subscribe today.

[Dave Elston]

It also had spikes sticking out from the bottom of it upwards. And then I also noticed on the walls that there were drawings of bondage type situations. Essentially it was a torture chamber with a placard on it that indicated Satan's Den.

[Sloan Glass]

Satan's Den was the place that David Parker Ray referred to as the Toy Box.

[Dave Elston]

So we determined that we actually had a crime scene, but we didn't know exactly what we had at the time.

[Sloan Glass]

Sergeant Elston then got in touch with the deputies who were with Cynthia Vigil.

[Dave Elston]

While talking with him on the telephone, he was telling me that the victim there, who was Cynthia Vigil, had been kidnapped and had been tortured for several days. At David Parker's residence, he took a pair of bolt cutters and removed a metal collar that was on there.

[Sloan Glass]

As deputies transported Cynthia to a local hospital, Sergeant Elston began his hunt for the man no one in Elephant Butte suspected would have a torture chamber.

[Dave Elston]

David Park Gray was always friendly with me. It was kind of shocking just knowing that this individual that I've known for that long was into what he was doing.

[Sloan Glass]

Later that afternoon, Sergeant Elston was in a squad car headed back to the police station. When he drove past a familiar vehicle.

[Dave Elston]

I noticed David Parker Ray's RV with him driving it. So I turned around, did a traffic stop with him.

[Sloan Glass]

Neighbors looked on as police drew their weapons and ordered David Parker Ray and Cindy Hendy to exit the vehicle.

[Dave Elston]

He was very calm. He was wearing the state Park's uniform.

[Sloan Glass]

The two then walked backwards towards the police with their hands in the air.

[Dave Elston]

And he asked if he could take the uniform off. And I told him no. That just was taking him into investigative custody.

[Sloan Glass]

With David Parker Ray and Cindy Hendy now in custody for the kidnapping and torture of Cynthia Vigilant, what happened next would shake the quiet town of Elephant Butte to its roots. Police charged David Parker Ray and Cindy Hendy with 25 counts, including kidnapping, sexual assault, and aggravated battery of Cynthia Vigil. What they didn't know yet was that Cynthia would also be the key in unlocking even more crimes. This was just the beginning, and Cynthia was lucky to make it out alive.

[Darren White]

People were shocked.

[Sloan Glass]

Darren White was the public safety director for the New Mexico State Police.

[Darren White]

The chief, who was this very large, very stoic and very serious man. I could see the look in his eye before he even uttered a word. What he was about to tell me was dark and disturbing. And he started to tell me about a woman who escaped in Elephant Butte from a trailer, that the reports were that she was running down the street and that she was naked and that she had a dog collar around her neck and that there were two people in custody. It's a hundred times worse when you actually go to the scene of where everything happened, and especially once you open the door to the toy box and you see what's in there. And you know right away that everything that happened in there was awful, was just God awful and designed with pure evil. It didn't take much more to realize it would be the most sick and twisted case that any of us would be involved in.

[Sloan Glass]

Talking to Cynthia Vigil, the police admired her heroism.

[Darren White]

This was a woman that was unthinkably tortured, terrorized, and obviously incredibly shaken. But she was able to tell them exactly what happened to her and who was responsible for it and where. Where it had happened. The detectives that were working that case knew right away that that was not the first case. He didn't wake up two days prior and decide, oh, my God, I'm going to abduct and torture this woman.

[Sloan Glass]

David Parker Ray and Cindy Hendy sat in jail awaiting trial. The two maintained their innocence and said they weren't torturing Cynthia. They were helping her. Helping her to detox from heroin. And they maintained any sex between David and Cynthia Vigil was consensual. As she was being transported to jail, TV cameras captured Cindy Hendy.

[Dave Elston]

Were you involved in any way? No. Kind of.

[Cynthia Vigil]

Kind of?

[Sloan Glass]

Yeah. Did you just hear that? Cindy Hendy said no? Kind of. What does.

[Darren White]

Kind of Mean, she was involved in the abductions. She was involved in the torture.

[Sloan Glass]

Police learned that Cindy Hendy had been convicted of theft and drug possession in Washington, but fled to New Mexico. She took up residence near Elephant Butte and landed a job with the State Park Department. That's where she met David Parker Ray.

[Darren White]

Cindy had said that they both had a preference for this kind of violent sexual activity, and so that's what brought them together. It's hard to imagine that a human being is capable of treating someone like that and inflicting that type of pain on them and doing it for their pleasure.

[Sloan Glass]

David Parker Ray was the man known for fixing things. He worked at the New Mexico Parks Department and was well known and well liked by those in town.

[Darren White]

There was not an ill word. People didn't say bad things about him.

[Sloan Glass]

People described him as quiet, neat, and somebody who would never raise his voice. One coworker said David Parker Ray was the nicest, cleanest, politest person and called his arrest mind boggling. And if you think about it, if that is really how people thought of him, it certainly was mind boggling.

[Darren White]

He just seemed like a. Almost like a grandfatherly figure that you would go fishing with on the weekend.

[Sloan Glass]

He even won an award at work for his efforts in a cost savings program. Along with a cash prize. He received a certificate of appreciation for his, quote, exemplary work and dedication.

[Darren White]

The thing that I remember the most is just people saying is that this is something we never would have expected of David Parker Ray.

[Sloan Glass]

But his reputation didn't cloud police judgment. It became obvious that David Parker Ray led two very different lives.

[Darren White]

The one thing about David Parker Wray kept journals, videos, recordings.

[Sloan Glass]

Parker Wray kept meticulous records of what he did to his victims. He even had dozens of videotapes that showed him torturing women, including Cynthia Vigil. With all this new information, police took another look at previous missing persons cases in the area. The FBI sent a pair of psychological profilers to try to get into the mind of David Park. And then there was the toy box. The FBI towed it to their Albuquerque office, where one FBI agent had the unfortunate task of sketching and making detailed drawings of its contents.

[Darren White]

You're talking about dozens of criminal investigators that were there trying to investigate every aspect of David Parker, Right?

[Sloan Glass]

All of this was going down weeks before Elephant Butte's high season began. Sleepy hotels suddenly turned on their no vacancy signs. Journalists and law enforcement flooded into town.

[Darren White]

Here you have this quiet little town that likes to keep to themselves. That wasn't going to be the case.

[Sloan Glass]

Anymore, especially after this news became public, one of Cindy Hendy's friends told a local TV station David Parker Ray was more than a rapist. He was, was a murderer. This friend claimed he dumped four to six victims in Elephant Butte Lake and that more bodies were buried in the desert.

[Darren White]

And there was immediately rumors that the lake was probably a graveyard to dozens of his victims.

[Sloan Glass]

The two were no longer just being looked at as sexual predators, but serial killers. Sergeant Dave Elston was one of the investigators.

[Dave Elston]

When I was inside of the residence, I saw a map of Elephant Butte Lake that had several red X's on it in the center of the lake.

[Sloan Glass]

What could that mean? X's on a lake? It's an ominous discovery. And you would think that somebody hiding such a huge secret would be more discreet.

[Dave Elston]

It was speculated that David Parker Ray would take them out on a boat and cut their bodies open, remove the internal organs, fill the cavity with rocks, bricks, whatever it may be, wrapped them in chicken wire and dump them into Elephant Butte Lake. And the fish and other creatures would take care of the decomposition of the body. So Elephant Butte lake is approximately 40 miles long.

[Sloan Glass]

Police and news helicopters took to the sky over Elephant Butte looking for bodies, but none turned up.

[Darren White]

I did a town hall meeting with the community to try to give as much information as I could.

[Sloan Glass]

That evening, residents of Elephant Butte filled a local school gymnasium as Darren White of the New Mexico State Police tried to ease their concerns.

[Darren White]

Speculation was running wild in this tiny little community.

[Sloan Glass]

Officer White told them that the state was pouring all of its resources into the investigation. He also expressed concern for investigators mental health given the chilling evidence they encountered. And in the coming weeks, police would learn about two more victims.

[Dave Elston]

Angelica Montano was a victim of David Parker Ray.

[Sloan Glass]

Angelica lived in Albuquerque and claimed that David Parker Ray held her in the toy box a few weeks before Cynthia. Then he dropped her off on the interstate.

[Dave Elston]

She was picked up by an off duty deputy sheriff. She explained to him that she had been kidnapped, raped and tortured. And then she didn't even know how she even got out of the interstate.

[Sloan Glass]

But at the time, the police didn't believe her story and they let her go.

[Dave Elston]

He just dropped her off at a gas station in the middle of the night and continued on.

[Sloan Glass]

With this information, police added additional charges to David Parker Ray and Cindy Hendy. That's now two victims that came forward. And Deputy District attorney Jim Yontz would soon locate a third. But there's a problem.

[Aldous Hodge]

She was able to remember bits and.

[Dave Elston]

Pieces, not the entire experience.

[Sloan Glass]

With three victims, prosecutors worked to make sure they kept these monsters behind bars.

[Darren White]

The victims, what they encountered and what they endured is just. It's unbelievable and so unbelievable that there were so many people when they were first told, didn't believe it was true.

[Sloan Glass]

Now it was up to prosecutors to convince a jury.

[Aldous Hodge]

We had jurors that were just shaking their heads no.

[Dave Elston]

We actually had jurors sobbing.

[Sloan Glass]

But would those jurors believe what happened? Some people like it rough.

[Dave Elston]

It was one of the jurors that.

[Sloan Glass]

Said that even with three witnesses, a pile of tapes, detailed recordings and physical evidence, prosecutors would struggle to keep David Parker Ray behind bars. And wait until you hear why that's on Part two of the Toy Box Killer. Next time on American Homicide.

You can contact the American Homicide team by emailing [e-mail] that's AmericanHomicidePodmail.com American Homicide is hosted and written by me, Sloan Glass and is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Todd Ganz. The series is also written and produced by Todd Ganz with additional writing by Ben Federman and Andrea Gunning. Our associate producer is Kristen Melcuri. Our iHeart team is Ali Perry and Jessica Krynchak. Audio editing and mixing by Matt D'Alvecchio. Additional editing support from Nicaruka Tanner Robbins, Britt Robicheaux and Patrick Walsh. American Homicide's theme song was composed by Oliver Baines of Noiser Music Library, provided by My Music. Follow American Homicide on Apple Podcasts and please rate and review American Homicide. Your five star review goes a long way towards helping others find this show. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Narrator]

From. Audio up the creators of Stephen King's Strawberry Spring Comes the Unborn. A Shocking True Story.

[Sloan Glass]

My babies. Please. My babies.

[Narrator]

One woman, two lives and a secret she would kill to protect.

[Cynthia Vigil]

She went crazy, shot and killed all her farm animals, slaughtered them in front of the kids, tried to burn their house out.

[Narrator]

Listen to the unborn on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sloan Glass]

Hi listeners, I'm Sloan Glass, host of the American Homicide Podcast and I'm excited to share this riveting story with you. I'm also excited to tell you that you can now get access to all episodes of season one of American Homicide 100% ad free and one week early through the I Heart True Crime plus subscription available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Plus you'll get access to other chart topping true crime shows you'll love, like the Girlfriends Betrayal There and Gone South Street Creating a the Story of bitcontroller Paper Ghosts, Piketon Massacre, Murder Homes and more. So don't wait. Head to Apple podcasts, search for iHeart True Crime plus and subscribe today.