— Deadly Day —
3 bodies found near local mall

By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — City work crews are planning to start work this morning to remove the huge boulders that fell on several people who were resting or living in the hills just north of the Rio West Mall.

Police were called to West Jefferson just northeast of the Magic Car Wash about 5:22 p.m. because of reports that three bodies were found in the hills there. Police said the call came from a woman at the car wash who was told by another woman that there were dead bodies on the hill.

Gallup Police Lt. Rick White reported three bodies about midway up the hill. The bodies had been crushed by rocks from higher up on the hill that had fallen during a recent rain storm. White said the bodies were trapped under the boulder, which was roughly 12 feet wide. White said he thinks the people were sleeping when the rock slide occurred. The area where they were found was known as a place where homeless people camp. The bodies possibly may have been buried under the rocks for several days, since the rain storm hit the area last Friday.

Because of the condition of the bodies, White said late Monday it was not yet known how long the bodies had been there or the sex of the victims.

Police put up barricades on either side of Jefferson too keep traffic from traveling in the area for fear that more boulders would tumble down on the roadway.

Stan Henderson, director of public works for the city of Gallup, was called to the scene when police realized that removing the boulders was going to be a major undertaking.
Henderson said he planned to have a city crew there at 8 a.m., today. They were unable to start sooner because it was starting to get dark and there was another heavy downpour of rain.

There has been no identification of the victims. That may take a while, given the condition of the bodies and the possibility that they may have been part of Gallup’s homeless population.