Chapter 16 | Girls from Ortiz's past help piece together a dark puzzle

This series contains explicit language and graphic descriptions of violence.

Editor's note: To Catch a Killer is the true story of killer Andy James Ortiz, his young victims, and the Fort Worth police and Tarrant County prosecutors who brought him to justice.

The story so far

A search of the Ortiz home turned up artifacts of sexual obsession. Among the items confiscated were dozens of photographs of Hispanic girls, some of whom are shown being fondled by Andy Ortiz, and more than 100 slips of paper with girls' phone numbers written on them.

CHAPTER 16

For almost a week, Fort Worth Detective Curt Brannan had devoted all his energy to building a case against suspect Andy Ortiz in the strangulation of 13-year-old Krystal Minjarez. But now, with the contents seized from Ortiz's bedroom, the case had broadened exponentially. The names and telephone numbers of hundreds of girls needed immediate attention, so they were quickly divvied up among the detectives upon their return from searching the suspect's home.

Because of the sheer volume of names, the job went on for weeks. Day by day, as investigators located and spoke to more and more girls, the dark reality of Andy Ortiz became even clearer. Excerpts from police notes on those calls detail a predator who was as relentless as he was insatiable:

-- Jennifer, met on the phone when she just turned 15. Andy asked if she was a virgin. She refused to let him come to her house, he became angry and said he was a member of a gang called the Latin Kings, and would have two girls he knew who attended her school come "beat her ass."

-- Sonia, 15. He called her out of the blue, but knew many things about her. She did not want to go out with him because when she could not go he would become angry and cuss her and call her a "stuck up bitch." His brothers used to call her and tell her if she did not go out with him they would bring their guns and kill her. They would click the gun over the phone. He came to her house one time. He kept wanting to hug her. He did not ask her to have sex with him. He told her his mom knew voodoo and she would cast a spell to make her fall in love with him. He cut a lock of her hair. He never took photos, but wanted her to give him a photo. She didn't. The day he supposedly murdered the first victim, he called and asked her out. Later he wrote her from jail and would be nice then would say, "stupid little bitch." Because she would not go out with him.

-- Kassandra, 14 years old. Ortiz pulls up and starts chatting when she's out riding bikes in Diamond Hill [in north Fort Worth]. Wrote to her while he was in jail. She was never alone with him.

-- Sonya, 19. Met him at a low rider show in Fair Park [in Dallas] in March or April. Never violent. Saw him five times but never dated. Has been to his house but mother always there.

-- Alicia. Met him at a carwash on the Northside, and talked by phone until she heard he had a wife.

-- Amanda, 17. He tried to take a Polaroid of her. She refused. Tried to kiss her, she refused.

-- Brenda. Met a man who said his name was Jaime Martinez. Met him three or four months ago at Texaco station at Seminary and McCart [an intersection in south Fort Worth]. Pulled her over and wanted her phone number. Started calling her and describing her house. Wanted to come take a picture of her. She refused.

-- Crystal. He tried to get her to break up with her boyfriend. Wouldn't come to her house unless she would meet him in the alley. He would call her and want to know what she was wearing. Never went out with him.

-- Christina went to a party and he kept wanting to take photos of her bottom.

-- Guera, 15. Met him at a Jack in the Box. She denied ever having sex with him. She could not believe he would ever commit a murder. He was so friendly!

-- Melinda, 15. Identified himself as Jaime. Asked if she was a virgin. Wanted to take nude photos of her. Melinda's dad came out and ran him off.

-- Diana. Had to go to Mexico to get away from suspect. Gang graffiti written on her house. Car damaged. [Ortiz] told Diana, "You don't know the pissed off side of me."