Another exposure death

By Leslie Wood
Staff writer

GALLUP — Authorities released the name of a Gallup man who was discovered dead in a remote area north of the Home Depot.

The victim was identified as 43-year-old Darryl Martine, Investigator Merle Bates of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Department said. Martine was a resident of the Chamisal Trailer Park.

A passer-by discovered Martine’s body on Sunday at about 6:30 p.m. and reported the find to authorities.
Bates said there is no evidence of foul play and preliminary investigation indicates Martine may have died from exposure. Temperatures dropped into the teens and 20s Saturday night.

Investigators suspect Martine had been in the area for about 24 hours before his discovery. He reportedly attended a birthday party in Fort Defiance on Friday.
Officials are also awaiting toxicology results from the Office of the Medical Examiner to determine an exact cause of death in the case.