Rest of body found
Dog uncovers what police believe is lower half of homicide victim

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — Police believe they have found the missing half of a man’s body.

After discovering the dismembered torso Monday night of a so-far unidentified male, police recovered what they believe to be the lower half of the same male Thursday.

Three residents walking a dog unwittingly discovered the remains about 8 a.m., according to lead investigator Owen Peña with McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Peña said Thursday afternoon that two women and one man noticed a stray dog gnawing at something partially buried about 100 yards east of where the torso was found Monday. Having read the newspaper article in which the discovery of the man’s torso was first reported, they knew to call police, Peña said.

The Office of the Medical Investigator also determined that the cause of death to the torso found Monday was homicide.

The partial male body found Thursday shows forensic similarities to the torso found Monday: both the upper and lower halves were stuffed into plastic bags before being partially buried in separate holes about 19 inches deep — and 100 yards apart — both behind the 300 block of East Wilson Avenue.

Police were at first unable to determine the gender of the partial body found Monday. The Office of the Medical Investigator determined Tuesday, however, that the torso belonged to a male. The lower half of a body found Thursday is also male.

Peña would not confirm that the two pieces belong to the same corpse; he said that confirmation will come only after a positive match through DNA testing.

“We’re not 100 percent sure,” he said.

The torso found Monday and the waist, legs and feet found Thursday were each buried in a clandestine grave. Peña said the OMI determined that the entomology of the holes shows they were dug between one and two weeks ago — long enough to attract scavengers.

He said police do not have any suspects, but have no reason to believe the homicide is “anything other than an isolated incident.”

Crimestoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest. Crimestoppers in Gallup can be reached at (505) 722-6161.

Reporter Phil Stake can be reached at philip.stake@gmail.com, or by calling (505) 863-6811 x223.