Who killed Craig Thatford?

Craig Thatford was murdered by his wife, Dena Thatford, who later confessed the crime to her daughter and a former co-worker.

Where was Craig Thatford's body found?

His body was discovered buried in a shallow grave under a pile of boxes and plastic sheets within a detached carport on his own property.

Initial Welfare Check: This section covers the first call from Craig's friend, Larry Scott, reporting him missing for two months, and the subsequent initial police visit to the Thatford property where they notice an odd smell but leave after finding the house seemingly empty.
Escalating Concerns and Neighbor Canvassing: This section begins with a second, more alarming call from Craig's grandson, Cody Gibson, who reports Craig missing for four months a...

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Dena Thatford used a false narrative about a trip to Mexico to cover up her husband's disappearance for months.

Neighbors provided critical evidence that contradicted Dena's claims about the safe combination and her relationship with Craig.

Physical evidence, including disabled cameras and bleach, pointed to a calculated cleanup attempt by the perpetrator.

The confession provided by Dena's daughter, Leslie, was the turning point that led police directly to the body.

Financial motive was suspected, as Dena spent hundreds of thousands of dollars shortly after Craig went missing.

She did state in front of me and my wife, if I could kill Craig and get away with it, I'd do it. — Ex-husband Scott

It took me a long time to figure out I'm the common denominator. — Dena Thatford

I think, you know, if I had just left when he told me to, then none of this would have happened. — Dena Thatford

The Disappearance

The Investigation

The Confession and Discovery

Otero County Sheriff's Officecompany

Major Crimes Unitcompany