We are the family of Duane Curtis. He is an American that frequently went to Mulege and had a trailer on Playa Armenta. He was brutally murdered on November 10th.
We are looking for any persons with any information about his activities, his acquaintances, or enemies? Any information would be helpful as we try to piece together what happened to our father, grandfather, and husband.

I have no information as I was stateside. But, could I suggest that you post the estimated date, time and specific place on the beach this crime took place. It might jog the memory of anyone who might realize they were close by at the time and what they saw.

I am also wondering what your experience has been in dealing with the police in Mulege about this? Have they been cooperative? Diligent? Motivated?

You might also try posting this on the Baja*****s board. It is much more active than this one, although not as localized.

I'd like to suggest that you post the date, time and the specific place on the beach that you think this may have occurred. Any other details like the type of trailer, the tow vehicle (if any) would also help. It may get someone who was in the area at the time remembering something.

I'm also wondering if you have filed a police report in Mulege? If so, could you describe your experience with them?

Post this on the *****s board, too. It gets WAY more traffic than here.

This is a photo of my father taken the week he was murdered. We found it from someone doing a pre-run of the baja 1000. Maybe it helps, please help spread the word.

Please contact me at dave@am-mx.com
Dave W.

We had some flyers when we were down there but didn't have any time to put them up.
I think we may have a few people in Mulege willing to help with posting flyers.

Would anyone be willing to help or possibly goto the military checkpoints and question the guards there?
I would be eternally grateful. Please email or call me or my sister Lisa to get the details. I should have a better flyer ready to go by then.
619-933-1396 my cellphone
858-794-8668 my sister Lisa's house
gtx510@gmail.com my email
lminerd@mac.com Lisa's email

I should also say that my father's death was the top news story on channel 10 in San Diego tonight. Hopefully more people in Baja will hear of his death and know to look for his Jeep. And I hear his friends have been able to put some pressure on the consulate to figure out what when on donw there. My family had nothing to do with it but I and somewhat relieved that someone on this side of the border finally cares.

I was able to post on these local Baja forums
http://forums.baja*****.com/viewthre...d=20775&page=7

http://forums.baja*****.com/viewthre...d=20775&page=6

We had some flyers when we were down there but didn't have any time to put them up.
I think we may have a few people in Mulege willing to help with posting flyers.

Would anyone be willing to help or possibly goto the military checkpoints and question the guards there?
I would be eternally grateful. Please email or call me or my sister Lisa to get the details. I should have a better flyer ready to go by then.
619-933-1396 my cellphone
858-794-8668 my sister Lisa's house
gtx510@gmail.com my email
lminerd@mac.com Lisa's email

I should also say that my father's death was the top news story on channel 10 in San Diego tonight. Hopefully more people in Baja will hear of his death and know to look for his Jeep. And I hear his friends have been able to put some pressure on the consulate to figure out what when on donw there. My family had nothing to do with it but I and somewhat relieved that someone on this side of the border finally cares.

I was able to post on these local Baja forums
http://forums.baja*****.com/viewthre...d=20775&page=7

http://forums.baja*****.com/viewthre...d=20775&page=6


http://www.signonsandiego.com/
But I can't find the story on the Union Tribune site though someone called me and said they saw it there.

Here's the TV news story.
http://www.10news.com/news/10348245/detail.html
http://www.10news.com/index.html

And I was told by the person who may have seen the Jeep that they were mistaken and it was on the 8th, but they didn't notice a roofrack or dent.
He still may have seen the Jeep as we are not certain of the time of death, given the time of the original consulate voicemail, and the Jeep being spotted Saturday at noon in Constitution. To me this all points to my father being killed before Saturday, but the local police's report conflicts with this.

Did anyone else see the trailer without the Jeep near it?
When?

http://forums.baja*****.com/viewthread.php?tid=20775&page=7#pid185089

http://www.10news.com/news/10348245/detail.html
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/riverside/20061117-2029-bn17stab.html
http://forums.baja*****.com/viewthread.php?tid=20775&page=6

PLEASE look for an ALL WHITE (grill, bumpers, everything) 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 4.7L V8, with tan leather and a sunroof.
The windows are slighty tinted (from the factory). It may be the Laredo or Limited model?
California License Plate # 5NRK826
VIN # 1J4GW58N4YC185572

It has a black roof rack that is easily visible and a large dent on the rear liftgate.
It also has a large adjustable tow hitch. And there's a trailer brake controller under the dash
The radiator core support is also bent and you can see where it was cut off and welded back on.
It has yellow and blue Bilstein shocks and a white and red Rancho Steering Stabilizer on the front axle.

If you see this Jeep please contact the local authorities.
Or call the Santa Rosalia DA Sergio Villareal (011 - 52) 615 - 153 - 0804
Or the U.S. Consulate's office in Tijuana (011 - 52) 664 - 622 - 7439

If you have other information and would like to contact me I can be reached at
619 - 933 - 1396 cellphone
858 - 794 - 8668
gtx510@gmail.com gtx510 @ gmail.com


We now think my father may have been murdered as early as Wednesday (Nov. 8th), possible even before then. This would explain why the local police acting the way they are.

I was informed by the US consulate in Tijuana Sunday night that my 73 year old father, Lloyd Duane Curtis, had been murdered. He was stabbed three times, his lung punctured, he drowned in his own blood, the fatal blow was so forceful that it also broke his ribs. All this to steal his Jeep, a crappy portable DVD/TV, and a portable battery charger/jumper box. This probably(?) happened sometime between Wednesday and Saturday (8th-11th) of last week at Playa Armenta, south of Mulege. An American couple(?) discovered his body on Sunday and then the police remembered seeing the Jeep on Friday(?) in Custiad Constitution. The police have no suspects and the detective's investigation seems motivated by a desire to buy the Jeep from us. Naturally I am horrified by all this and their incompetence in general. They told me that an American citizen, Jim (or John?) Perry left a message on the US consulate hotline on Thursday or Friday reporting a lone trailer sitting on the beach and asked if the local police would investigate it. The police didn't so until Sunday after another American couple reported the death. My family and I are of the opinion that the police are lying about the time of death to hide their incompetence. The medical examiner told us "off the record" that the police were not telling the truth about this and that it most likely occurred 24hrs before the police were saying. When we arrived to claim the body and fill out paperwork the Santa Rosalia DA was "fishing" so we waited a few hours for him. And then he was most concerned about showing us that he was the bigshot in town and nothing happened without his ok. He even started talking back to me in Spanish after I questioned why it took them so long to find my father and that it appeared he had been dead for longer than they were saying. Their "investigation" consists of about 10 pictures and a coroner's report. And it seems like they feel that they won't find the killer so why even bother.

SO...

PLEASE look for this Jeep!!!

A pre-runner forwarded me this link of my dad on Playa Armenta (Armento?).
The coincidence is blowing my mind. Could you post it?
You can clearly see the roof rack and you can barely see the dent to the
left of the license plate.
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=292407181&size=...et-72157594366666018


received this in an email.

"My wife and I were traveling to our home in Southern Baja and remember
seeing a Jeep of this description after leaving Loreto at 8:00 a.m. the
morning of the 8th. It was somewhere along the straight stretch of road
before you reach the intersection where the highway splits between Ciudad
Insurgentes and Ciudad Constitucion. The Jeep we saw was a Limited and
matches the color description. We may have seen some of the occupants but
not positive if it was this vehicle or a for sure. But we think (again
think) there may have 4 to 5 people in the car with a young hispanic girl of
late teens or early twenty's sitting in the back seat and also possibly a
young child too. I did not get a look at the front seat passengers but made
a comment to my wife that it looked like they had the whole family in the
vehicle. The young women in the back seat turned around and looked at us a
couple times before they pulled off the road letting us by. I do remember
that the girl did turn around and look at us through a tinted rear window of
the same shape as a Jeeps would be and this is what makes me think these
people may be associated to the vehicle that matches the description that we
saw. We hope for your families sake that these people are apprehended for
this crime."


And another.
"Hola! No sé si te sirva decirte esto, pero donde por lo regular siempre aparecen los carros robados son en puerto san carlos y pto adolfo lopez mateos, b.c.s., pero por lo regular los pintan y les arreglan los detalles por los cuales lo pudieran reconocer. Suerte! ojalá y den con lo tipos que robaron y asesinaron al extranjero."


Google translation.
"Hello! I do not know if it serves decirte this to you, but where by always regulating they appear the robbed cars are in port san Carlos and pto Adolph the mateos Lopez, b.c.s., but by regulating paints them and they fix the details to them by which they could recognize it. Luck! hopefully and they give with the types that robbed and assassinated the foreigner."

may have been murdered on the 7th
jeep sighted twice since then
police know nothing

We were traveling past Playa Armenta on Fr., Nov.3rd. We were taking videos of the beaches along the way. There is a pic. of the camper with the white car next to it just to let you know.
Hope this helps
Suz