It was a normal Saturday morning. February 10, 1990. The desert air in Las Cruces was crisp, and at Las Cruces Bowl on East Amador Avenue, the staff was just getting ready for a kids' bowling league. Then, the unthinkable happened. Two men walked in, and by the time they walked out, the city had changed forever. People still talk about it in hushed tones at local diners.
The shooting Las Cruces NM incident—specifically the bowling alley massacre—is easily the most haunting piece of New Mexico history. It isn't just a crime; it’s a scar. Seven people were lined up on the floor of the manager's office. They were shot execution-style. Four died that day, and a fifth died years later from complications. Two survived. But the killers? They vanished into the Chihuahuan Desert, and despite over three decades of investigation, nobody has been cuffed for it.
Honestly, it’s frustrating. You’d think with seven victims and a fire started in the building, someone would have slipped up. But the trail is cold. Stone cold.
What Actually Happened Inside Las Cruces Bowl?
The timeline is chillingly precise. Around 8:20 AM, Stephanie Senac, the 34-year-old manager, was in her office. With her were her 12-year-old daughter, Melissa Repass, and Melissa's 13-year-old friend, Amy Houser. They were just kids. Then, the two gunmen entered. They weren't there for the bowling; they were there for the safe.
Steve Teran, 26, the alley’s cook, happened to walk in at the wrong time. He had his two young daughters with him, Valerie and Kelly, because he couldn't find a babysitter. He just wanted to get to work. Instead, he and his little girls—ages 2 and 6—were forced into that cramped office. Finally, 33-year-old Barney Garcia was added to the group.
The robbers took about $4,000 to $5,000. It’s a pittance. For a few thousand dollars, they decided to eliminate all witnesses. They opened fire.
The grit shown by Melissa Repass is the only reason we know what happened. Despite being shot, she managed to crawl to a phone and call 911 after the gunmen set fire to the office and fled. Her voice on that dispatch tape is something you never forget. It’s raw. It’s terrifying. It’s the sound of a child forced to grow up in a matter of seconds.
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The Suspects and the "Could-Be" Leads
The descriptions were basic. Two Hispanic men. One in his late 20s, one in his 30s. Police released sketches that have been plastered on every New Mexico news station for thirty years. You’ve probably seen them: the "Older Suspect" and the "Younger Suspect."
- The Older Suspect: Estimated to be between 35 and 40 in 1990. Roughly 5'6" to 5'8".
- The Younger Suspect: Estimated to be 25 to 30. Slightly taller, maybe 5'10".
There have been a lot of theories. Some people think it was an inside job or related to a drug debt, but the FBI and Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD) haven't found concrete evidence to bridge that gap. Over the years, investigators have looked at everyone from local thugs to prison inmates in other states. They even looked into whether the gunmen were from out of town, just passing through on I-10.
LCPD Detective Dan Trujillo and others have sifted through over 2,000 leads. Think about that number. Two thousand. Every time a new "deathbed confession" pops up, the families get their hopes up, only for the DNA or the facts to fall short. It’s a cycle of grief that won't quit.
Why the Shooting Las Cruces NM Case Is So Hard to Solve
Fingerprints were found. DNA technology has advanced. So why is there no name?
Well, the fire is a big part of it. The suspects poured an accelerant and lit the office on fire before leaving. While the fire department put it out quickly, the combination of water, soot, and chemicals can wreak havoc on a crime scene. In 1990, we weren't thinking about touch DNA. We weren't thinking about the tiny skin cells left on a door handle.
Also, the 1990s weren't the era of the Ring camera. There was no digital footprint. If you didn't catch someone in the act or find the weapon, they could basically disappear into the horizon.
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There's also the "Border Factor." Las Cruces is about 40 miles from the Mexican border. If those guys headed south immediately, they could have been across the line before the police even set up a perimeter. It's a reality of crime in the Southwest.
The Victims We Lost
We shouldn't just talk about the killers. We need to remember the people.
- Amy Houser: Just 13. She was a vibrant kid with her whole life ahead of her.
- Steve Teran: A young dad trying to make a living.
- Valerie Teran: Only 2 years old.
- Kelly Teran: Only 6 years old.
- Barney Garcia: He died at the scene.
- Stephanie Senac: She survived the initial shooting but passed away in 1999. Many believe the trauma and the physical toll of her injuries shortened her life significantly.
Recent Developments and the $30,000 Reward
In recent years, there's been a push to use forensic genealogy—the same stuff that caught the Golden State Killer. The LCPD has been working with private labs to see if they can pull anything more from the evidence stored in their lockers.
The reward stands at $30,000. For some, that’s life-changing money. For the police, it's a drop in the bucket if it leads to an arrest. They keep the case file active. It’s not in a basement gathering dust; it's on a desk. They want this one. The whole town wants this one.
Every February 10th, the community gathers. They hold vigils. They talk about the "Bowling Alley Case." It’s a weird kind of local "where were you when" moment. Everyone who lived in Las Cruces in 1990 remembers the fear that gripped the city that week. Parents didn't let their kids play outside. People locked their doors—something a lot of folks didn't do back then.
Misconceptions About the Case
You'll hear rumors. Someone will tell you "the mob did it" or "it was a hit on the owner." There is no evidence for that. Most experts believe it was a robbery gone sideways. The killers likely panicked or decided from the start that they weren't leaving anyone alive to testify.
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Another common myth is that the police "know who did it" but can't prove it. While there are certainly "persons of interest" who have stayed on the radar, "knowing" and "proving" are two different worlds in a courtroom. Without a weapon or a confession that matches the undisclosed details of the scene, a prosecutor won't touch it.
How to Help Move the Case Forward
If you're looking into the shooting Las Cruces NM story because you think you know something, or maybe you heard a relative talking about "the time they did something bad in New Mexico," don't stay silent.
Even a tiny detail—a car seen in the parking lot, a name mentioned in passing years ago—can be the missing piece.
Action Steps for the Community:
- Review the Sketches: Take a fresh look at the age-progressed sketches provided by the FBI. Memory is a funny thing; sometimes a different angle or a different age-progression sparks a connection.
- Support the Families: Organizations like New Mexico Victims' Assistance offer support for those still dealing with the fallout of cold cases.
- Contact Crime Stoppers: If you have a tip, call Las Cruces Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. You can remain completely anonymous. You don't have to give your name; you just have to give the truth.
- Keep the Story Alive: The worst thing for a cold case is silence. Share the articles, watch the documentaries (like "A Nightmare in Las Cruces"), and make sure the names of the victims aren't forgotten.
The investigation into the Las Cruces bowling alley massacre is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s been 35 years of waiting for justice. The people of Las Cruces deserve an answer. The Teran family, the Housers, and the Senacs deserve to know that the men who walked out of that building that morning didn't get away with it forever. Justice might be delayed, but in the high desert, we don't give up.
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