1. Childhood

David Parker Ray was born on November 6, 1939 and died May 28, 2002. David was suspected to be a serial killer and well-known torture killer of many women, although no bodies were ever recovered. David was eventually discovered when many of his accomplices came forward with accusations regarding the murder of around eight women. On top of these known victims, police also believe that Ray may be responsible for the murders of up to sixty women near and around Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.
Ray had a very disturbed and violent childhood. Many have speculated that this was the road that led him to his life of torture and murder. Ray resided with his grandparents. While still occasionally seeing his father, he was physically abused each and every time. While he was attending school he made very poor grade, and was often teased for being shy around females. Many of his educational downfalls were thought to be brought on by the passing of his Grandmother which split him and his sister up. David eventually graduated high school and spent much of his time participating in illicit drug use and a strong habit of consuming alcohol. He later enlisted in the military.

1. Ray’s Murders
Ray tortured and murdered all of the female victims in a homemade torture facility he named "toy box". The chamber contained many objects that he personally named and felt to be his friends. The contents of his friends consisted of chains, pliers, pulleys, clamps, whips, knives, chainsaws, hack saws, and other miscellaneous torture devices. These tools were the essence of his killing persona and allowed him to victimize women in and around Truth or Consequences for many years.
Within the devious, and dark room where so much pain had been ensued sex toys, torture implementation devices, and video and audio recording devices were recovered by the FBI. Although much of this is highly disturbing Ray also created his own diagrams showing how, and where to inflict the most pain in the human body. Along with all of this, the FBI found devices such as alternators to generate electricity in a standalone fashion to torture his victims, and to power his torture playground.

2. The Escape/Arrest
Cynthia Vigil escaped the confines of Ray’s facility on March 22, 1999. Cynthia escaped only because she waited till Ray went to work. After he left, it was just her, and Rays accomplice Cindy Hendley. Cynthia grabbed the keys that were left on a nearby table by Hendley. After she had the keys in hand, Hendley noticed she was trying to escape. After she was free of her chains a fight ensued resulting in Cynthia stabbing Cindy in the neck with an ice pick. Cynthia ran naked to town and went inside the closest police station she could find.

Ray was arrested the very next day. All throughout the entire trial two of the living victims were present to testify, and the mother of another victim who eventually succumb to her wounds. Cynthia and Kelly Garret gave testimony against David Parker Ray, each victim gave their own separate accounts of the pain, suffering, and horror they experienced while confined by Ray. Garret insisted that he not be given the penalty of death, but instead life. She knew it would be more suffering and pain for him to endure the rest of his god given life in prison, so that he may eventually understand what his victims endured for his own personal satisfaction.
3. The Conviction
Ray was eventually convicted, and finally was sentenced to two-hundred, twenty-four years in state prison. The first trial he went through was by a hung jury within Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico. After the first trial he was going to another in a small town near the place he grew up as a small boy. He was found guilty and was convicted of his crimes perpetrated against Angie Montaño after which he admitted the majority of his crimes perpetrated against Cynthia Vigil and two other young women, the only reason for his confession was for a lesser sentence for his accomplice daughter. After eight months post sentencing Ray died. Hendley received thirty-six years in prison for testifying against Ray.

4. Mental Study/Observation
One of the main FBI specialists assigned to the Ray Case was Mary Ellen O’Toole. She is world’s foremost expert in criminal sexual sadism. She gave testimony that with a previous inspection of Ray’s home, the toy box, and the sexual paraphernalia and drawings within surely suggested Ray to in fact be a criminal sexual sadist.

O’Toole stated that Ray’s toy box were pretty impressive in relation to other sexual sadism predators, the potential to be lethal and the standard of time, and the money invested to keep all of it a secret. O’Toole stated that there isn’t a known treatment for Ray’s disorder. Also the behavior displayed by others with this disorder are only able to hide it through oppression.

5. The Confrontation
David Parker Ray’s known victims made their final statement to the court and to Ray as well previous to the judge sentencing him. Two other victims Angelica Montano, and Kelly Garret came forward and divulged the crimes committed against them. With only three known victims it was determined that a separate trial would be held for each. Unfortunately Montano died before trial two so that only left two trials. While all of this was going on, the FBI conducted a sweep of Ray’s residence consisting of over one-hundred agents. Many of Ray’s accomplices including his daughter were apprehended and threatened. In the process they revealed between fourteen and sixty possible murders Ray was responsible for. While only one of these victims was present aside from Cynthia, the third had died and her mother spoke to Ray in her place. She stated many things and said that she forgives him, and that if her daughter were around, she would forgive him as well. Garret stated that the crimes committed against her and all of the other girls captured by Ray could not be answered by the easy sentence of death, but only a life sentence could give him an idea of the pain her and all the others endured.

Cynthia however felt different. She wanted the man dead and stated that he should burn in hell for the rest of his days for the crimes he committed against all of his victims, and also stated that she hated him. This has been a summary of the David Parker Ray case, and the horrific events that transpired in the little town of Truth or Consequences.

6. Citation Report
Glatt, J. (2002). Cries in the desert (St. Martin's Paperbacks ed.). New York: St. Martin's Paperbacks.
Cries in the Desert draws our attention to the first person perspective of many of the victims, allowing us to see what they all actually went through. An emotional aspect of the case, if you will.

Sparks, J. E. (2006). Consequences: the criminal case of David Parker Ray. Roswell, N.M.: Yellow Jacket Press.
Consequences: the criminal case of David Parker Ray revolves around the actual trial and outcome of the crimes Ray committed.

FBI, (2011, October 18). FBI. Retrieved May 31, 2014, from http://www.fbi.gov/news/news_blog/fbi-releases-images-in-david-parker-ray-case
The FBI provides all of the evidence and crime scene photos that revolved around the conviction of David Parker Ray

Ramsland, K. (n.d.). David Parker Ray: The Toy Box Killer. The Toy Box — — Crime Library. Retrieved May 31, 2014, from http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/david_parker_ray/3.html
The toy box killer focuses around the mental state of Ray, and gives a detailed account of the crimes he committed, and how he tortured all of his victims.