Crime Documentary - The David Parker Ray (Toy box killer) story
- 7 years ago
Viewer discretion is advised. Some may find this content disturbing. This is a documentary I found interesting.
David Parker Ray (November 6, 1939 – May 28, 2002), also known as the Toy-Box Killer, was a suspected American serial killer and known torturer of women.
Though no bodies were found, he was accused by his accomplices of killing several people and suspected by police to have murdered as many as 60 people from Arizona and New Mexico. He soundproofed a truck trailer that he called his "toy box", and equipped it with items used for sexual torture.
Ray was convicted of kidnapping and torture in 2001, for which he received a lengthy sentence, but he was never convicted of murder. He died of a heart attack about one year after his convictions in two cases (the second of which resulted in a plea deal).
Ray sexually tortured and presumably killed his victims using whips, chains, pulleys, straps, clamps, leg spreader bars, surgical blades, and saws. It is thought that he terrorized many women with these tools for many years, while living in New Mexico, with the added assistance of multiple accomplices, allegedly including several of the women he was dating. Inside the torture room, along with numerous sex toys, torture implements, syringes, and detailed diagrams showing different methods and techniques for inflicting pain, there was a homemade electrical generator that was used for torture.
Ray posed as an undercover police officer and approached Cynthia Vigil in a parking lot. He told her she was under arrest, for solicitation of sex work, and handcuffed her. He put her in his trailer and took her to Elephant Butte. After 3 days of captivity, Vigil escaped from his trailer on March 22, 1999. To escape, she waited until Parker went to work, then managed to get the keys to unlock her chains that Ray's accomplice, Cindy Hendy, had left on a nearby table while Hendy was in another room on the phone. After Vigil got the keys, Hendy noticed Vigil's attempt to escape and a fight ensued. During the struggle, Hendy broke a lamp on the victim's head, but Vigil managed to unlock her chains and stab Hendy in the neck with an icepick. Hendy fell to the floor and Vigil escaped. Vigil ran away naked, wearing only an iron slave collar and padlocked chains. Once Vigil escaped, she ran down the road seeking help, later getting assistance from a nearby homeowner. The homeowner took Vigil in, comforted her and called the police. Her escape finally led officials to the trial and capture of Parker and his accomplices.
After Vigil's escape, police apprehended Ray and Hendy, and Ray was arrested. After the publicity surrounding the arrest, another victim, Angelica Montano, came forward. She told a similar story and said that she had reported the incident to police, but there had been no follow-up.
Ray had a video of another victim, Kelli Garrett, which dated back to 1996. Garrett was ultimately found in Colorado alive, after police identified a tattoo on her ankle. Garrett later testified that she had gotten in a fight with her husband, and decided to spend the night playing pool with friends. On July 24th, 1996, Ray's daughter, who was friends with Garrett, took her to the Blu-Water Saloon in T Or C, and roofied the beer she was drinking. Garrett managed to make it to the parking lot when Ray hit her from behind, knocking her unconscious. Ray took her to his trailer and attached a dog collar and leash to Garrett. Garret awoke, but blacked out several times during 2 days of torture and date rape drugs. During this time, Ray noticed she was breathing and slashed her throat open. Thinking he had killed her, Ray dumped her on the side of the road near Caballo. She was later treated for her injuries at a local clinic. Neither her husband, nor police, believed her story. Her husband believed she had been cheating on him the night she was attacked. He filed for divorce, and Garrett relocated to Colorado. She was later interviewed on Cold Case Files about her ordeal.
Two other accomplices were uncovered by the investigation: Glenda Jean "Jessie" Ray (Ray's daughter) and Dennis Yancy. Yancy admitted to strangling a former girlfriend, Marie Parker, after Ray had kidnapped and tortured her. Yancy was eventually convicted of second degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder, and received two 15-year terms.
Since that murder, Ray has allegedly admitted to having had an accomplice named Billy Bowers, a previous business partner, whom Ray also murdered.
The FBI sent 100 agents to examine Ray's property and surroundings, but no identifiable human remains turned up there. To prevent women from reporting the crimes, Ray had drugged them with agents to induce amnesia. He taped himself telling one woman the drugs were "sodium pentothal and phenobarbitol". One woman remained uncertain that her recollections of the abuse were anything but nightmares until contacted by the FBI.
David Parker Ray (November 6, 1939 – May 28, 2002), also known as the Toy-Box Killer, was a suspected American serial killer and known torturer of women.
Though no bodies were found, he was accused by his accomplices of killing several people and suspected by police to have murdered as many as 60 people from Arizona and New Mexico. He soundproofed a truck trailer that he called his "toy box", and equipped it with items used for sexual torture.
Ray was convicted of kidnapping and torture in 2001, for which he received a lengthy sentence, but he was never convicted of murder. He died of a heart attack about one year after his convictions in two cases (the second of which resulted in a plea deal).
Ray sexually tortured and presumably killed his victims using whips, chains, pulleys, straps, clamps, leg spreader bars, surgical blades, and saws. It is thought that he terrorized many women with these tools for many years, while living in New Mexico, with the added assistance of multiple accomplices, allegedly including several of the women he was dating. Inside the torture room, along with numerous sex toys, torture implements, syringes, and detailed diagrams showing different methods and techniques for inflicting pain, there was a homemade electrical generator that was used for torture.
Ray posed as an undercover police officer and approached Cynthia Vigil in a parking lot. He told her she was under arrest, for solicitation of sex work, and handcuffed her. He put her in his trailer and took her to Elephant Butte. After 3 days of captivity, Vigil escaped from his trailer on March 22, 1999. To escape, she waited until Parker went to work, then managed to get the keys to unlock her chains that Ray's accomplice, Cindy Hendy, had left on a nearby table while Hendy was in another room on the phone. After Vigil got the keys, Hendy noticed Vigil's attempt to escape and a fight ensued. During the struggle, Hendy broke a lamp on the victim's head, but Vigil managed to unlock her chains and stab Hendy in the neck with an icepick. Hendy fell to the floor and Vigil escaped. Vigil ran away naked, wearing only an iron slave collar and padlocked chains. Once Vigil escaped, she ran down the road seeking help, later getting assistance from a nearby homeowner. The homeowner took Vigil in, comforted her and called the police. Her escape finally led officials to the trial and capture of Parker and his accomplices.
After Vigil's escape, police apprehended Ray and Hendy, and Ray was arrested. After the publicity surrounding the arrest, another victim, Angelica Montano, came forward. She told a similar story and said that she had reported the incident to police, but there had been no follow-up.
Ray had a video of another victim, Kelli Garrett, which dated back to 1996. Garrett was ultimately found in Colorado alive, after police identified a tattoo on her ankle. Garrett later testified that she had gotten in a fight with her husband, and decided to spend the night playing pool with friends. On July 24th, 1996, Ray's daughter, who was friends with Garrett, took her to the Blu-Water Saloon in T Or C, and roofied the beer she was drinking. Garrett managed to make it to the parking lot when Ray hit her from behind, knocking her unconscious. Ray took her to his trailer and attached a dog collar and leash to Garrett. Garret awoke, but blacked out several times during 2 days of torture and date rape drugs. During this time, Ray noticed she was breathing and slashed her throat open. Thinking he had killed her, Ray dumped her on the side of the road near Caballo. She was later treated for her injuries at a local clinic. Neither her husband, nor police, believed her story. Her husband believed she had been cheating on him the night she was attacked. He filed for divorce, and Garrett relocated to Colorado. She was later interviewed on Cold Case Files about her ordeal.
Two other accomplices were uncovered by the investigation: Glenda Jean "Jessie" Ray (Ray's daughter) and Dennis Yancy. Yancy admitted to strangling a former girlfriend, Marie Parker, after Ray had kidnapped and tortured her. Yancy was eventually convicted of second degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder, and received two 15-year terms.
Since that murder, Ray has allegedly admitted to having had an accomplice named Billy Bowers, a previous business partner, whom Ray also murdered.
The FBI sent 100 agents to examine Ray's property and surroundings, but no identifiable human remains turned up there. To prevent women from reporting the crimes, Ray had drugged them with agents to induce amnesia. He taped himself telling one woman the drugs were "sodium pentothal and phenobarbitol". One woman remained uncertain that her recollections of the abuse were anything but nightmares until contacted by the FBI.