New Mexico Couple Charged With Sexual Abuse of Children, Other Abuse; Family Lived in Mud Caves on Landfill-like Property
Share this @internewscast.com

A New Mexico mother was arraigned this week on 18 charges related to the abuse of a child, including one count of criminal sexual penetration.

Valerie Cordell, age 41, has pleaded not guilty to the accusations she faces. Her spouse, 50-year-old Melvin Cordell, is facing 24 charges, which include charges related to child sexual abuse. He is scheduled for arraignment next week.

The couple’s arrest occurred in February following a report to New Mexico State Police from Roswell Police. This was after their 16-year-old daughter accused them of abuse while she was at the state National Guard Challenge Academy in October 2024, according to KQRE.

In her statements to investigators, the daughter revealed that she had been pregnant on two occasions after being subjected to “unwanted sex” with her father and two other male relatives, court records indicate. It is alleged that Melvin Cordell conducted “non-consensual” abortions and was involved in “destroying, altering, or concealing” the fetuses.

The teen said that her parents forced her and her siblings to have sex with each in front of adults.

She also said she and her siblings were often starved as punishment and said that there were times when they were denied food after they called 911 and child services came to the 35-acre rural property where the family lived in “underground caves” made of mud.

Court documents describe the property as looking like a “city trash landfill” with buckets of feces, piles and piles of trash, rotting food, animal skeletons, broken appliances, broken campers, other vehicles, and clothing scattered everywhere.

According to the district attorney’s office, seven children lived on the property, ranging in age from 6 months to 16 years. They have all been placed in state protective custody.

The Cordells are both being held without bond.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Lawsuit Filed Over Toddler’s Tragic Death Linked to Forced Sleep Method

Inset: Conrad Ashcraft (Coplin Funeral Home). Background: Poppy’s Playhouse in Missouri, where…

Police report: Man accused of house arson following shooting of father and brother

Background: News footage shows the house in Gig Harbor, Washington, where two…

Cryptocurrency Conflict Allegedly Results in Abduction and Torture

A 28-year-old man from Italy was held captive and subjected to torture…

Las Vegas Reporter Discovered Deceased in Box; Suspect Killed in Utah Car Rollover

A journalist from Las Vegas was discovered deceased inside a crate at…

Judge Stops Trump Administration’s Recent Action Against Harvard

Main: President Donald Trump addresses the press upon arriving for a House…

Police Report: Officer Accused of Assaulting Pregnant Girlfriend While on Duty

Background: The Fort Lauderdale Police Department in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Google Maps).…

WA Minister Commits to Cracking Down on Domestic Violence: Coercive Control to Become a Crime

The Western Australian government is intensifying its efforts to combat family and…

Teacher Allegedly Gives Alcohol to 4-Year-Old, Leading to Hospitalization with High Blood Alcohol Level

An Alabama teacher was arrested on Wednesday for giving a 4-year-old girl…

Police: Mother Starved 4-Year-Old Child with Special Needs to Death

Inset: Jessica M. Burke (Bay County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Bay County Law…

Attorney Makes Three Failed Attempts to Murder His Wife

Fred Wortman (Tennessee Department of Correction). A Tennessee lawyer will remain behind…

Pair Detained Following Early Morning Shooting Incident at David’s BBQ

Staff report A domestic battery incident at David’s BBQ on NE 23rd…