NM ghost town to reopen as murder stays unsolved

Months after the 68-year-old Larry Link was found gunned down in his own New Mexico ghost town, his murder remains unresolved. But family members have announced that the Steins Railroad Ghost Town is set to reopen this May following renovations. Still, the unsolved murder still has some area residents worried about drug trafficking-related violence from Mexico. The ghost town is located on a well-known trafficking route from the Mexico-New Mexico border and is near busy Interstate-10 on the Arizona-New Mexico state line. No arrests have been made, with authorities suggesting the killing might have been a robbery gone wrong. Rancher Judy Keeler said she and other area residents believe Link's murder was likely connected to drug traffickers passing through. She said in recent years neighbors have been victims of break-ins, have seen requests jump for food and water by passing migrants, and at times have been nearly run off county roads by high-speed chases between the Border Patrol and suspected traffickers. Ranchers and authorities say it's not uncommon to stumble upon lost bundles of marijuana and wandering traffickers, "drug mules," as they attempt to make it through the Peloncillo Mountains along the Arizona-New Mexico border.However, rancher Judy Keeler said many area residents believe Link's murder was likely linked to drug traffickers passing through the town...more