This story began with an ordinary trip and ended with a discovery that police officers described as one of the most

gruesome in their careers. On May 15th, 2015, 32-year-old Alice Monto and

35-year-old Mark Montero left their home in Phoenix, Arizona to visit Bryce

Canyon National Park. The trip was supposed to take about 8 hours on the highway, including several stops to

refuel the car and grab snacks at roadside cafes. However, the couple

never made it to their destination. Their last recorded signal was received near a small gas station along the

highway in the northeastern part of the state. A few hours later, both of their

phones stopped responding and their whereabouts were unknown. The car they

were driving was soon reported stolen, and a 5-year search yielded no results.

Alice Montero was born in 1983 in Tucson, Arizona. She worked as a remote

graphic designer, freelanced, and ran a small online business selling souvenirs.

Mark Montero was born in 1980 in Phoenix, worked in logistics, and was a

long-haul truck driver. The couple had been married for three years and often traveled together throughout the western

United States, visiting national parks and nature reserves. The trip to Bryce

Canyon had been planned a month in advance and the hotel reservation in Pangitch, Utah was confirmed 3 weeks

before departure. They left in the morning with two suitcases, a camera, camping furniture for picnics, and a

minimal supply of food and water. The last confirmed contact with the couple

was recorded at approximately 11:20 a.m. at a Chevron gas station near the town

of Holos, Arizona. Surveillance cameras recorded their car, a gray 2009 Honda

Accord at pump number three. Mark was filling up the tank while Alice went

into the store to buy water and coffee. The footage shows them returning to the car together, getting into the front

seats, and driving off toward US Route 89. This was the last confirmed record

of their whereabouts. Their cell phones registered a signal from a cell tower 25

km north of the gas station, after which both devices went offline. Attempts to

contact them throughout the day were unsuccessful. Still, their loved ones did not think

much of it at first, assuming that there might be no cell service in the mountainous area. The next day, May

16th, relatives sounded the alarm. The couple did not arrive at Bryce Canyon.

They were not waiting for them at the hotel, and they did not answer their phones.

On the same day, an official missing person’s report was filed with the Phoenix Police Department. The Utah

police also joined the search as it was assumed that the disappearance had occurred while traveling between states.

Descriptions and photos of Alice and Mark were sent to all highway patrols, motel, and gas stations along their

presumed route. The car was listed as a possible means of transportation for the

missing persons. Still 2 days later, the status was changed to stolen in the federal

database as there were signs of a violent disappearance. During the first days of the search, all

known stops and exits from the highway were checked and roadside parking lots, rest areas, and nearby wooded areas were

searched. No personal belongings, signs of a struggle, or the car were found.

Mobile phone data did not allow investigators to pinpoint the location at the time of the disappearance. The

last signal was too brief and the coordinates were not accurate. Investigators noted that the area where

the signal was lost had little traffic and minimal infrastructure. The nearest town was 30 km away and the gas station

where they had left was the last place with cameras and staff. Drivers who had traveled on that road that day did not

report anything suspicious when questioned, and no one saw a car left on the road or signs of an accident. A week

after the disappearance, the Federal Bureau of Investigation joined the case at the request of local police as the

missing persons could have crossed state lines at the time of the abduction, which would have made the crime a

federal jurisdiction. A temporary joint task force was formed consisting of FBI investigators, the

Arizona Highway Patrol, and the Utah Police. Theories of carjacking, robbery,

and kidnapping for ransom were explored. However, the latter seemed less likely

as no threatening messages or demands had been received by the relatives. The

couple’s family and friends joined the search, distributing flyers and posting on social media. Local news stations

aired a video from the gas station, which was the last confirmation that Alice and Mark were alive and together.

Despite an active information campaign, the case did not move forward in the following months. As the weeks passed,

the search was scaled back and the main activity remained with the investigation team, which periodically checked

anonymous reports and information from random witnesses, but none of them were confirmed. By the end of 2015, official

search efforts had been suspended. The car had not been found, and the whereabouts of Alice and Mark remained

unknown. The case was not formally closed, but its active phase was

replaced by passive monitoring and verification of incoming information. The car was listed in the federal

database as stolen, and two adults were listed as missing under unclear circumstances. Since early 2016, the

case of the disappearance of Alisa and Mark Montero has been archived as an active but unsuccessful investigation.

The investigation team continued its work with a reduced staff, two detectives from the Phoenix Police

Department and one agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Their main task was to periodically check any matches in the vehicle database and unidentified bodies found

in several states. Every month, the police received reports of burned or abandoned cars. Still, none of them

matched the VIN number of the gray Honda Accord registered to Mark Montero. In

March 2016, a car of a similar model was found abandoned on a dirt road in

Cookanino County. However, a check of the body and engine numbers revealed it

was not related to the missing couple. In June of that year, the Phoenix Police

Department received anonymous information from a man who claimed to have seen Monto’s car on private

property near the town of Paige. A check of the site and an interview with its

owner did not confirm this statement. There was an old sedan of a different make, partially dismantled for parts.

Over the next few months, several more similar reports were received. Still,

each turned out to be false or based on misidentification of the car. The

Montero family continued to pay attention to the case. Alisa’s parents gave interviews to local television

stations twice a year, reminding viewers of their daughter’s disappearance and that of her husband. They also

maintained a website with a detailed description of the incident, photographs, and appeals for witnesses.

Despite this, the flow of new information was minimal. By the end of 2016, no reliable witnesses had come

forward who had seen Alice or Mark after they left the gas station on May 15th,

2015. In early 2017, investigators re-examined

video footage from traffic cameras along US89, which had been obtained in the first weeks after the disappearance.

The review of the archives did not reveal any new details. At one location,

approximately 40 km from the last recorded point, a camera captured a vehicle that appeared to be similar to

Montero’s Honda Accord. Still, the quality of the recording did not allow for a definitive identification of the

license plate. The date and time on the footage matched the couple’s presumed route. There were no surveillance

cameras near this section of the highway, and the car’s further route could not be determined. In the spring

of 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation sent a request to neighboring states, New Mexico, Nevada,

and Colorado to check whether Montero’s car could have been resold or dismantled for parts outside Arizona and Utah. The

responses from these states did not contain any matches for the VIN number. Attempts to track down possible sales of

parts through online resources and auto dismantlers were also unsuccessful.

At the same time, investigators checked individuals with previous convictions for assault and car theft in the area of

US Route 89. More than 20 people who were in prison or on parole at the time of Montero’s

disappearance were questioned. No direct evidence against any of them was found.

In 2018, the Phoenix Police Department database recorded the death of

43-year-old Jeffrey Allen Harper, who had previously been convicted of armed robbery and car theft. He died of a drug

overdose in a motel on the outskirts of the city. Harper’s name was not linked

to the Monto case at the time, as he was not among those questioned in the early years of the investigation. His mention

in the database did not arouse the interest of the investigation team until the end of that year when an update of

the fingerprint and DNA profile database revealed a match with circumstantial evidence from an old car theft case in

2014. This evidence was a biological trace left in the trunk of the stolen car.

However, at that time, no direct link to the disappearance of Alisa and Mark had

been established. The case gradually lost priority. In 2019, only two

anonymous reports were received and neither contained any verifiable facts.

The investigation team’s primary task was to update federal databases quarterly and review reports of found

vehicles. Despite the lack of progress, the case files still indicated the need for immediate action if any new

information came to light, especially regarding a gray Honda Accord with a

specific VIN number. On August 22nd, 2020, the Cookanino County Police

Department received a report from a farmer living in a remote area 40 km west of Flagstaff.

The man reported that while dismantling an old metal shed on his property, he discovered a car partially hidden by

thick bushes. The car had been stationary for several years, the tires were flat, and the body was covered with

a layer of dust and rust. The license plates were missing. The farmer

explained that he had purchased the property 3 years ago and had not used the shed or the surrounding area because

it was on the edge of his property and overgrown. When the patrol officers arrived at the

scene, they determined that the vehicle was a gray sedan, heavily soiled and

with damaged rear lights. A check of the VIN number confirmed that the car belonged to Mark Montero and had been on

the federal wanted list since 2015. The area was immediately cordoned off

and a forensic team was called in. During the initial inspection, officers

noticed that the trunk lid was closed but not locked. Inside were two bundles

wrapped in blankets secured with ropes and plastic ties. The Coconino County

Forensic Team arrived at the farm on the same day, August 22nd, 20 to20, at

approximately 4:30 p.m. The site was cordoned off with yellow police tape and

temporary barriers were erected to prevent unauthorized access. The car

parked under a metal canopy was on a compacted dirt area. On the south side,

the site was fenced off with a metal sheet, partially bent and rusted, which probably hid the car from view. The

condition of the body indicated that it had been exposed to the elements for a long time. Corrosion on the lower part

of the doors, cracks on the windshield, a layer of dust, and plant debris. Before opening the trunk, the experts

took photos of all the external parts. They took prints and traces from the door handles, trunk lid, and hood. There

were faint traces of whitewash on the rear bumper, presumably from contact with a painted object. There were no

license plates, and the mountings for them were empty with rusty bolt remnants. There were no keys in the

locks, and the car doors were locked except for the trunk, which was held shut only by a latch. The trunk was

opened in the presence of a Phoenix Police Department detective, a representative of the district attorney,

and two forensic experts. After lifting the lid, two large bundles were found,

each wrapped in an old dark blue fleece blanket. The blankets were secured with

nylon ropes and additionally tied with white industrial-grade plastic clamps.

There were brown stains on top of the blankets, presumably traces of biological fluids. The smell indicated a

high degree of decomposition. Still, due to the skeletal state of the bodies and the time they had been there,

it was not pungent. Both bundles were removed onto a tarpollen laid out next to the car and opened with gloves while

being photographed and filmed. Inside each bundle were human remains in a state of complete skeletonization.

The first bundle contained the skeleton of a female and the second contained the skeleton of a male.

The position of the bones indicated that the bodies had been placed in a bent position with the knees pulled up to the

chest. The wrist bones of both victims had remnants of plastic clamps identical

to those used to tie the blankets. There were no signs of gunshot wounds on the skulls, but forensic experts noted

traces of cut wounds on the man’s ribs. Some clothing was preserved. Fragments

of denim and a zip-up sports jacket were found on the female remains, and remnants of cotton trousers and a dark

coat were found on the male remains. A metal key to a padlock without a key ring or markings was found in one of the

pockets of the male jacket. After the bodies were removed, the trunk was thoroughly examined. The upholstery had

multiple brown stains, some of which were immediately taken by forensic experts for DNA analysis. Traces of

sweat suitable for fingerprinting were found on the inner surface of the trunk lid and on the right wall. In the right

corner of the trunk compartment, there was a plastic bag with an empty one L soda bottle and a disposable cup. The

bag was partially covered with leaves and small debris likely accumulated during the car’s extended storage under

a canopy. The car was loaded onto a tow truck and sent to the county forensic

center. The remains were taken to the morg for forensic examination.

The preliminary expert conclusion received two days later confirmed that the skeletons belong to an adult male

and an adult female. Dental examination using dental records

provided by relatives allowed the identities of the deceased to be confirmed on the third day after the

discovery. They were Alice Montero and Mark Montero, who had disappeared on May

15th, 2015. After the identities were confirmed, a

separate stage of the investigation began, establishing the circumstances under which the car ended up on the

farmer’s property. The landowner was questioned. He reported that he had purchased the plot in 2017 and that the

shed under which the car was found was already in poor condition. According to

him, he had never looked under it because the surrounding vegetation was dense and the shed itself was not used

for storing equipment or materials. The previous owner of the plot, who

lived in another state, died in 2016. The documentation on the transfer of the

plot did not contain any information about who used it between Montero’s

disappearance and its sale to the farmer. The key point was the examination of biological traces taken

from the trunk lining. A week after the discovery, the crime lab reported that the DNA profile found on the inside of

the trunk lid matched that of Jeffrey Allen Harper, a man who died of an overdose in 2018.

His DNA was already in the database due to previous convictions for armed robbery and carjacking. This match was

the first direct evidence linking a specific individual to the case. Further

steps in the investigation focused on reconstructing the route taken by Monto’s car after it disappeared and

determining how it came into Harper’s possession. The police began interviewing potential witnesses,

examining Harper’s financial activity in May 2015 and checking his movements

during that period using cell phone records. After receiving a DNA match

with the profile of Jeffrey Allen Harper, the investigation team changed the priority of the case. On September

4th, 2020, Phoenix detectives and FBI agents initiated an indepth analysis of

Harper’s movements in May 2015. To do this, they requested archived mobile

phone data stored as part of other investigations as well as records from toll roads, surveillance cameras, and

bank card transactions. Although more than 5 years had passed, some of this data was still stored in

departmental archives, and third party organizations. According to a report

compiled by the data analysis department, Harper’s cell phone was active in northeastern Arizona on the

day of Alice and Mark Montero’s disappearance. The sequence of cell tower signals

indicated that on the morning of May 15th, he was in the Winslow area. Then

at around 10:40 a.m., his device was registered in the coverage area of a

base station serving a section of US Route 89, approximately 20 km from the

Chevron gas station where Monto was last seen. At approximately 11:43 a.m.,

Harper’s phone signal disappeared, which coincided with the time when Alisa and Mark’s phones stopped transmitting. An

analysis of bank transactions showed that Harper used cash that day and his

bank cards were not used. However, 2 days after Monto’s disappearance, he

purchased fuel at a gas station in the Flagstaff area, paying with his card.

Surveillance cameras at the gas station captured footage of Harper driving a gray sedan that looked like Montero’s

car. Due to the image quality and angle of the camera, it was not possible to

identify the license plate. Still, the Makin model matched a Honda Accord from

the 2000s. Parallel to the analysis of Harper’s movements, his surroundings were also

investigated. It was established that in 2015, he lived in a rented house on the

outskirts of Phoenix and did not have a permanent job. Before his arrest in

2012, he had been involved in petty theft and car theft, served time for

armed robbery, and was released on parole at the end of 2013.

Investigators found no connection between Harper, Alisa, and Mark Montero before their disappearance. In May 2015,

Harper was not under police supervision and was free to move about. It was impossible to question Harper due to his

death in 2018. Investigators focused on interviewing his acquaintances, including people he

had been in contact with between May and June 2015. One of his former prison mates, who

lived in Flagstaff, reported that in May of that year, Harper was driving a car he was hiding from everyone and didn’t

want to show where he got it. According to the witness, Harper explained that the car was not registered and that it

was better not to ask questions. The witness did not provide any other

direct evidence indicating the time of the abduction. The forensic examination

of Alisa and Mark’s remains continued in parallel. Experts determined that death

occurred in May or June 2015. Alisa had fractures on her ribs and forearms

consistent with defensive movements. Mark had several cut wounds to his ribs and shoulder bones, presumably from a

knife or other sharp object. No signs of gunshot wounds were found. Plastic ties

on the wrists of both victims indicated that they had been bound before their deaths. The exact mechanism of the

murder could not be determined due to the condition of the remains. Forensic

experts also analyzed the contents of the trunk and the bag with the bottle found inside. Partial fingerprints

belonging to Harper were found on the bottle and mug. No DNA traces of anyone

other than the victims and Harper were found. This reinforced the investigator’s theory that he acted

alone. An examination of the blankets showed that they were manufactured in the early 2000s and sold in a retail

chain that Harper had visited previously according to his bank transactions from previous years. Based on the data

collected, investigators constructed a preliminary timeline. On May 15th, 2015, Alice and Mark

stopped at a Chevron gas station at around 11:20 a.m. Harper, who was in the

area, may have noticed them and followed them. After leaving the gas station, the

couple may have been stopped or forced to pull over under the pretext of a malfunction or other reason. Next,

Harper presumably used force, tied them up with plastic zip ties, and placed them in the trunk of the car. He drove

the car to an unknown location where the murder took place, then left the bodies in the trunk and continued to use the

vehicle for some time. Approximately several weeks later, he hid the car under a canopy on the premises where it

was later found. The investigation began examining all objects owned or used by

Harper between May and July 2015, including abandoned buildings, rented

garages, and land plots belonging to acquaintances. The goal was to find additional evidence pointing to the

location of the murder or the motive for the attack on Montero. In midepptember

2020, the investigation team gained access to property and rental records in the name of Jeffrey Allen Harper and his

close acquaintances. During the analysis, it was established that in May 2015, Harper rented a detached metal

garage in an industrial area on the outskirts of Phoenix. The lease was for

3 months from May to July of that year, after which the premises were relet to

another tenant. The owner of the garage complex reported that Harper paid in cash, returned the keys a week late, and

that when he handed over the garage, there was a strong smell of gasoline and dampness. No complaints or reports of

offenses were received during that period. On September 21st, 2020,

investigators, having obtained a warrant, searched the garage, which was currently being used by another person.

Before the search began, the premises were cleared of the current tenants belongings, and the floor and walls were

examined using forensic lighting equipment and reagents to detect traces of blood. Several dark spots, invisible

to the naked eye, were found on the concrete floor near the back wall. A quick test on the spot showed a positive

reaction to blood. The samples were sent to the lab for DNA testing. A fragment

of plastic tape similar to that found on Alisa and Mark’s wrists was also found in the gap between the wall and the

floor. In the corner of the garage, under a layer of dust lay a piece of synthetic fabric measuring approximately

30x 40 cm with traces of brown stains. In a metal cabinet, which according to

the current tenant, had been left behind by the previous occupant, there was an old rubberized raincoat and a pair of

work gloves with varying degrees of wear. The gloves were placed in separate bags for forensic analysis. 4 days

later, the laboratory confirmed that the DNA from the stains on the concrete floor and on the fabric found belonged

to Mark Montero. A mixed DNA profile was found on the raincoat, which contained

traces of Alisa Montero and Harper. Harper’s biological material was also

found on the inside of one of the gloves. On the outside, some microparticles matched the composition

of the upholstery in Montero’s car trunk. These findings allowed investigators to conclude that the

couple was in this garage when they were fatally injured or immediately after.

Further analysis of CCTV footage from cameras installed at the entrances to the industrial zone in 2015 revealed

that on the evening of May 15th at approximately 7:47 p.m. a gray sedan

matching the description of Montero’s Honda Accord entered the zone. The quality of the recording did not allow

the faces in the car to be distinguished. Still, the silhouette of the driver and the absence of passengers

in the front seat were visible. The cameras only recorded the entry. The exit of a car with this license plate

number or visual characteristics was not recorded. This meant that the car could

have left the area through an unregistered exit or in dismantled form. Still, given that it was found intact on

the farm, it was most likely taken away at a later time. Investigators checked

neighboring garages, but found no obvious clues related to the case. However, one of the tenants recalled

seeing Harper late one evening in May 2015 unloading large bundles wrapped in cloth from the trunk of his car and

carrying them into the garage. The witness did not think much of it at the time, assuming they were bags of

belongings. 5 years later, this testimony became necessary circumstantial evidence for

the investigation. After establishing the garage as a possible murder site, the police focused

on the route the car took from the Phoenix industrial area to the farm in Cookanino County. FBI logisticians

calculated the most likely routes, taking into account the avoidance of cameras on toll roads and major

highways. It was established that in June and July 2015, Harper was caught on

camera several times in an old pickup truck traveling in the direction of the farm. Witnesses among his acquaintances

confirmed that during that period he was looking for a place to hide something and asking about abandoned sheds or

warehouses. By the end of October 2020, the investigative team had prepared a

full report detailing all the evidence gathered, DNA matches, physical evidence

from the garage, witness statements, and a timeline of Harper’s movements. The

documents were handed over to the district attorney. Since Harper had died two years earlier, the criminal case

against him was closed postumously and the investigation was officially closed with him being recognized as the sole

perpetrator of the kidnapping and murder of Alice and Mark Montero.

However, the question of possible motives remained open. There was no indication in the case file that he knew

them beforehand, and the only working theory was that it was a robbery attack.

Montero’s personal belongings did not include a camera, two mobile phones, or Mark’s wallet with cash, which they had

taken with them on the trip. A search for these items in pawn shops, online

auctions, and among Harper’s confiscated belongings yielded no results. Further

analysis involved comparing this crime with other unsolved disappearances in the region during the same period to

rule out Harper’s involvement in different cases. In early November 2020,

immediately after the official closure of the case of the murders of Alice and Mark Montero, the investigation team

began the so-called post investigation phase. Its purpose was to examine possible

links between Jeffrey Allen Harper and other disappearances and violent crimes in Arizona and neighboring states

between 2013 and 2018. This step was standard procedure when

confirming a suspect’s involvement in a serious crime, especially if they had a history of armed assaults and

carjackings. The first step was to compare Harper’s DNA profile with the

National Cotus database. The system contained biological samples from more

than 2,000 unsolved cases. The results of the check for matches based on direct

traces of blood, saliva, or epithelial cells were negative.

However, several cases had incomplete DNA profiles or mixed traces containing

fragments that partially matched Harpers. Still, they did not meet the criteria for a formal match. These

materials were forwarded to forensic experts for further analysis. One such

case was the disappearance in July 2014 of a 26-year-old woman in a suburb of

Phoenix. She disappeared in the evening while driving home in her car. The car

was found 3 days later abandoned on the side of a country road with an empty gas tank and traces of a struggle and fabric

microparticles in the trunk. At the time, there was insufficient evidence to identify a suspect. Now, after

comparison, it has been discovered that some of the fabric particles were identical in composition to synthetic

material found in Harper’s garage in connection with the Monttero case. This

was not direct evidence, but it pointed to a possible connection. Similar cases

in Utah and Nevada, especially near major highways, were investigated at the

same time. One case caught the attention of investigators. The disappearance of a

couple in January 2016 in Mojave County. Their car was found a week later in an

abandoned parking lot, but their bodies were never found. Some information about Harper’s

movements during that period has been preserved. Still, he was indeed in Mojave County in January as confirmed by

motel records. Unfortunately, the motel’s cameras were not working, and

the registration card listed a false address, which did not raise any suspicions at the time. To expand the

investigation, investigators requested all cases of disappearances and discoveries of unidentified bodies

involving the use of plastic zip ties as a means of restraint. In the 5 years

before Harper’s death, there were 11 such cases in the region. Each of them was re-examined and the remaining

evidence was re-examined. In three cases, the zip ties used were the same type and brand as those used in the

Monto case. What’s more, one of these cases, an attack on a tourist near

Sedona in 2015, happened just 3 weeks before Alisa and Mark went missing. The

victim survived, but was unable to describe the attacker because the attack took place in the dark, and he was left

tied up on the side of the road. The witness stated that the perpetrator was driving a dark-colored car, but did not

specify the make or model. Despite the growing number of circumstantial coincidences, it was not possible to

legally link Harper to other crimes. In many old cases, material evidence had

been partially lost and witnesses had either died or were unable to recall the details.

Nevertheless, in its final report, the investigation team indicated that Harper was highly likely to have been involved

in several attacks and disappearances, but that it was no longer possible to confirm this with documentary evidence.

At the same time, Alisa and Mark’s relatives were given access to the complete case files. They were given

copies of the expert reports, a chronology of events, and the conclusion that the murder was motivated by greed.

The report noted separately that the couple’s missing items, a camera, two mobile phones, and a wallet, had never

been found. The investigation suggested that these items could have been sold or

destroyed shortly after the crime. A check of pawn shops and secondhand

stores between May and June 2015 did not reveal their appearance in circulation.

In December 2020, the Cookonino District Prosecutor’s Office officially closed

the case. All materials were transferred to the archives and the car and personal

belongings seized from the scene were handed over to relatives after all procedures were completed. The farmer on

whose land the sedan was found gave written testimony that he had never seen the car before. The shed was demolished

and had no idea it was there. The investigation did not establish how the car ended up on the property. Still, the

leading theory remained that Harper hid it there shortly after the murder. The

final step was the compilation of an internal FBI analytical report describing weaknesses in the interstate

data exchange system that prevented Montero’s car from being found earlier.

The report stated that if the inspection of abandoned buildings had been carried out regularly and using updated search

databases, the vehicle could have been seen several years earlier, which would have allowed more facts to be

established and possibly brought Harper to justice while he was still alive. In

February 2021, 3 months after the official closure of the case of the murder of Alice and Mark Montero, the

Phoenix Police Department received a statement from a man named Ronald Kelton, a 58-year-old man living in the

small town of Pinetop Lakeside in Eastern Arizona. Kelton reported that he

had only recently learned from the news about Jeffrey Alan Harper’s involvement in the case and recalled an incident

that occurred in May 2015, which he had not previously connected to the couple’s

disappearance. According to Kelton, in miday of that year, he was driving home

from work on US Route 60 towards Phoenix. On one stretch of the road,

near the turnoff to a country road, he noticed a gray car parked on the side of the road with the hood open.

Nearby was a man who looked like Harper, thin of medium height with short dark

hair and wearing a dark jacket. Kelton stopped to offer help, but the man replied sharply that he didn’t need any

help. Kelton noticed that the rear wheels of the car were slightly sunk into soft ground as if the car had

skidded off the asphalt and got stuck. He saw a woman’s handbag and a plastic

bottle of water on the passenger seat. Still, there were no passengers visible inside the car. According to Kelton’s

recollection, the situation seemed strange to him. Still, he drove away because the man clearly did not want to

talk. An important point was that Kelton claimed that the car had a dent on the right rear door approximately at the

level of the handle. Investigators knew that Mark Montero’s Honda Accord did indeed have a similar dent, which he had

sustained 6 months before his disappearance in a minor accident. This fact heightened interest in Kelton’s

testimony, even though almost 6 years had passed since the events. FBI agents

went to the section of US60 Highway indicated by Kelton to assess the area.

The road ran through a sparsely populated area with wasteland and a few farm buildings along the route. The dirt

road mentioned by Kelton led to old warehouse hangers that had long been abandoned and were partially destroyed.

Archival satellite images showed that in May 2015, these buildings were still

intact and a dirt road led to one of them which had since been covered with gravel. The police speculated that

Harper might have used this place as a temporary location where he kept his victims before transporting them to

Phoenix. In March 2021, a thorough search of the warehouse area and

surrounding terrain was conducted. Forensic investigators used metal detectors, ground penetrating radar, and

search dogs trained to detect human remains and blood traces. Inside one of

the destroyed hangers, they found several old plastic clamps identical in size and color to those found on

Montero’s bodies. Next to it lay a piece of rope partially embedded in the

ground. An examination established that the material of the clamps and rope was produced at the same factory and during

the same period as those used in the murder case. On the floor of the hanger,

under a layer of dust and debris, forensic experts found faint stains that, when treated with aluminol

reagent, gave off a characteristic glow, indicating the presence of blood residue. Samples were taken and sent for

analysis. Two weeks later, the laboratory confirmed that the DNA from these samples matched Alisa Montero’s

profile. This result was substantial evidence that the victims had been in the hangar possibly immediately after

their abduction. The reconstructed timeline taking into account the new data was as follows. After leaving the

Chevron gas station, Alice and Mark were intercepted by Harper on a section of the highway where traffic was sparse and

forced to stop. He then moved them to a hanger near the US60 exit where he kept

them tied up. From there, he transported them to a rented garage in Phoenix where

the murders took place. He later hid the car with the bodies on a farm in Cookanino County. New evidence, despite

the case already being closed, was compiled into a separate supplementary report. The victim’s relatives were

informed of the findings and that the location of the initial detention had now been established with a high degree

of certainty. After the discovery of the hanger and confirmation that Alice Monter was inside, the investigation

team moved on to checking the theory of a possible accomplice to Jeffrey Allen

Harper. Although the evidence suggested that he may have acted alone, the fact that two adults were detained,

transported over long distances, and the car with the bodies was subsequently hidden raised doubts that Harper could

have done all this without outside help. At the end of March 2021, all of

Harper’s phone connections for the period from May 10th to May 20th, 2015

were traced. At the moment when Alisa and Mark’s phone stopped responding,

Harper’s device was turned off. Still, 2 days earlier, he had exchanged several

calls and text messages with a man named Rick Madden, 41, who lived in the Tempe

area. Madden had two prior convictions for theft and possession of stolen

property, was serving a suspended sentence, and was on probation at the time of the events. Investigators

determined that Madden had access to a white Ford Econoline van registered to

his brother in May 2015. Surveillance camera footage from near a

Phoenix industrial area captured a similar van in the evening hours of May

15th. The time of appearance coincided with the moment when a Honda Accord

believed to belong to Montero entered the garage complex. The quality of the

recording did not allow the license plate number to be read. Still, the general appearance and condition of the

vehicle matched Madden’s van. In early April 2021, Madden was

questioned. He denied any involvement in the kidnapping or murder of Monttero. He

claimed that he was out of town in midmay doing repair work. A check of his alibi showed that between May 15th and

17, his phone was indeed located in Phoenix, not where he claimed to be. No

concrete evidence linking him directly to the crime was found, but circumstantial evidence prompted

investigators to continue their investigation. At the same time, a second examination of the contents of

the hanger was carried out. On one of the plastic clamps found near the place where Alice’s blood was found, forensic

experts discovered a partial fingerprint that did not belong to Harper or the victims. This fragment of the

fingerprint partially matched a print on Rick Madden’s file in the police database. The match was incomplete. The

print was smudged and damaged, so it couldn’t be used as direct evidence in court, but it did raise suspicions.

In May 2021, the investigation team requested a search warrant for Madden’s garage. Inside, they found several empty

gasoline cans, pieces of plastic sheeting, and old car upholstery cut from the trunk of an unknown car. An

examination showed that the fabric of the upholstery did not match that of Montero’s Honda Accord. Still, the

manufacturing technology and structure of the material were identical to the upholstery seized from Harper’s garage.

No traces of blood were found on these items. As a result of a comprehensive investigation, the investigators

concluded that there was no direct evidence to charge Madden. Still, his

possible involvement in Harper’s movements could not be ruled out. In the final internal FBI report, this episode

was recorded as an unconfirmed possible accomplice. No formal case was brought against him

as Harper’s death and the inability to gather new direct evidence made criminal prosecution unfeasible.

By the end of June 2021, the accomplice theory had been shelved indefinitely.

All the information gathered, including partial fingerprints, phone records, and video footage, was kept on file with a

note indicating that it could be re-examined if new analysis technologies or witness testimony became available.

Meanwhile, Alisa and Mark’s relatives contacted the Phoenix Police Department,

requesting a public briefing and disclosure of the details of the chronology of events, including the

recently found hanger. They hoped this would attract the attention of other potential witnesses who may have seen

Harper or his associates in May 2015. Department officials agreed and

preparations for the briefing began in July. On August 9th, 2021, a briefing on

the murder of Alice and Mark Montero was held in the conference room of the Phoenix Police Department. The room was

filled with local and regional media representatives, several federal reporters, and the victim’s relatives,

Alice’s parents, and Mark’s younger brother. On the table in front of the speakers

were photos from the location where the car was found, images from the Chevron gas station, satellite images of the

hanger near US Route 60, and a schematic map with a red line marking Harper’s presumed route. The press officer began

with a brief chronology. The disappearance on May 15th, 2015. The

discovery of the car on a farm in August 2020. Confirmation of Harper’s

involvement. the discovery of the hanger in February 2021 and circumstantial

evidence pointing to a possible accomplice. Previously unpublished details were revealed, the discovery of

Alice’s blood in the hanger, a partial fingerprint that did not belong to Harper, and phone records showing his

interactions with Rick Madden. At the end of the briefing, the police appealed to the public, asking anyone who had

seen Harper, Madden, their vehicles, or Montero’s car in May June 2015 to

contact the department. They emphasized that even the most insignificant memories, which at first

glance may seem irrelevant, are essential. A separate phone number was set up to receive information, and an

anonymous online form was created. Just three days after the briefing, the

police received a call from a woman named Lynn Hargrave, 51, who lived in Paige, Arizona. She said that at the end

of May 2015, she was working at a small roadside motel located near US Route 89.

According to her, one evening, a man resembling Harper arrived at the motel in a gray sedan. He asked for a room for

one night, paid in cash, and refused to show his driver’s license, saying that he had left it in the car. Hargrave

remembered that the back of the car was partially covered with a dark tarp secured with rope and the interior

appeared empty. When asked about his luggage, he replied that he would leave everything in the car. According to

Hargrave’s recollection, that same night she saw the man go out to his car, open

the trunk, and check something inside with a flashlight. She did not go close,

but noticed that the trunk lid remained open longer than usual. Early the next morning, the man left without waiting

for the standard checkout time. Shortly thereafter, she found pieces of a dark blue blanket and several plastic ties,

one of which had been cut in a trash can on the motel grounds. This information

was important for two reasons. First, the location of the motel coincided with

one of the intermediate routes Harper could have taken to avoid major cities.

Second, the description of the blanket matched exactly the ones used to wrap Alisa and Mark’s bodies. The

investigators ordered a search of the area around the motel. Even though it had been over 6 years since the crime,

only small pieces of fabric were found around the container site and in the surrounding bushes, which according to

experts could not be reliably identified due to the destruction of the fibers.

Nevertheless, Hargrave’s testimony helped clarify the chronology of Harper’s movements. The investigation

could now assume that at the end of May after the murders, he had traveled north, possibly to find a place to hide

the car and the bodies. This route included stops in sparssely populated

areas such as the farm where the sedan was later found. This new information

was added to the case file, and Hargrave was officially recognized as a witness in the case. Her testimony confirmed

that Harper had been traveling with the victim’s bodies for several days after the abduction, which in turn meant a

more extended period of detention than previously thought. By midepptember

2021, the investigative team had completed the systematization of all the materials collected during the six-year

investigation. The final report was a detailed chronology that combined the data from

the initial investigation, the results of the work after the car was found, and all the additional information obtained

after the case was formally closed. On May 15th, 2015, Alice and Mark Montero

left Phoenix and headed for Bryce Canyon National Park. At 11:20 a.m., they were

recorded by cameras at a Chevron gas station near the town of Holos, Arizona.

During the same period, Jeffrey Allen Harper was in the same area as confirmed by cell phone records.

Approximately 20 minutes after leaving the gas station, Alice and Mark’s phones stopped working. Further investigation

revealed that shortly thereafter, the couple was forcibly stopped by Harper and taken to an abandoned hanger off the

US60 highway. There they were held captive and bound as confirmed by the

discovery of Alisa’s blood and plastic zip ties identical to those found on the

victim’s wrists. That evening, Montto’s Honda Accord was caught on camera

entering an industrial area in Phoenix where Harper had rented a metal garage.

Traces of Mark’s blood, fabric fragments with Alisas and Harper’s DNA, and

plastic zip ties were found in the garage. The examination established that it was here with a high degree of

probability that the fatal injuries were inflicted. Mark had cut wounds to his

bones and Alice had fractures characteristic of defensive movements. No signs of gunshot wounds were found.

After the murder, Harper continued to use Monttero’s car for some time. Witness statements and video footage

indicate that at the end of May, he spent the night at a motel on US89 near

the town of Paige. There, pieces of a dark blue blanket and plastic ties

similar to those used in the crime were found in the trash. In the weeks that followed, Harper made several trips to

the northern part of the state, avoiding toll roads and large population centers.

In June or July, he moved the car to a farm in Coxanino County where he hid it

under a metal shed, partially obscuring it from view with bushes and metal sheets. The car remained there until

August 2020 when a farmer demolishing the shed accidentally discovered it.

When the trunk was opened, the skeletal remains of Alisa and Mark were found inside, wrapped in dark blue blankets

and bound with plastic ties. Traces of Harper’s DNA were found in the trunk and

on its lid. Analysis of all the evidence established him as the sole perpetrator of the kidnapping and murder. By the

time his involvement was established, he was dead. He died of a drug overdose in a motel on the outskirts of Phoenix in

2018. The investigation also looked into the possibility of an accomplice. Phone

contacts and an incomplete fingerprint in the hanger pointed to Rick Madden. Still, no direct evidence of his

involvement was found. No case was opened against him, but the materials mentioning him remained in the archives

with a note, possible participant. An extended investigation linked Harper to

several other unsolved disappearances and assaults, but due to the lack of direct evidence and the length of time

that had passed, these episodes remained legally unproven. The conclusion of the

investigation stated that the kidnapping of Alice and Mark Montero was motivated by greed. The victims were abducted on

an open stretch of road, taken to an abandoned building and then transported to a rented garage where they were

killed. The perpetrator then moved the bodies around for several days before hiding the car. All of Harper’s actions

were carried out to seize property and probably cash while carefully avoiding

direct contact with law enforcement agencies. The final report, more than 400 pages

long, was handed over to the Cookanino County District Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A separate closed meeting was organized for the victim’s relatives, at which they were presented with all the

established facts. Alisa’s parents and Mark’s brother decided to publish the

main findings publicly to draw attention to other possible cases involving Harper. The Montero case became one of

the region’s most notable examples of how even years later and after the suspect’s death, it is possible to

reconstruct the complete picture of a crime by combining forensic methods, interstate data exchange, and witness

testimony. However, the fact that the car with the bodies had been missing for more than 5 years and had remained on

private property all that time caused an outcry and sparked a debate about the

need to reform procedures for searching for missing vehicles. The timeline was

complete. The evidence was recorded and the case was closed. Only unresolved questions remained about

Harper’s motives, the possible involvement of other individuals, and how many similar crimes he could have

committed while remaining undetected.