Unattended body discovered behind Gallup Walmart prompts CID and OMI investigation

Gallup police responded to a report of an unattended body behind the Walmart store at 1650 W. Maloney Ave. on Feb. 25, 2026, and officers on scene confirmed the report. The Gallup Police Criminal Investigations Division took over the scene after officers made the initial discovery.

Detectives from the Gallup Police Criminal Investigations Division were the primary investigators at the Walmart site on Maloney Avenue following the confirmation of the unattended body. The investigation at 1650 W. Maloney Ave. was conducted by CID detectives who secured the immediate area behind the store as they processed the scene.

The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator responded to the location and worked alongside Gallup Police detectives at the scene behind the Walmart. OMI personnel took part in the on-site response at 1650 W. Maloney Ave., carrying out the agency’s role in examining an unattended body and coordinating next steps with Gallup Police CID.

The incident at the Gal lup Walmart store on West Maloney Avenue prompted an active presence of city investigators at a commercial property that serves local shoppers and employees. Gallup Police officers initially confirmed the report at the rear of the store before transferring responsibility to CID, and OMI’s involvement signaled that the matter would move to a formal medicolegal examination off-site.

Gallup Police Criminal Investigations Division handled scene management and investigative duties beginning Feb. 25, 2026, while the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator assisted with the medical-legal aspects of the case. Investigators have not released additional details about identity, cause of death, or any potential public safety measures tied to the discovery at 1650 W. Maloney Ave.

As the inquiry that began on Feb. 25 continues, Gallup Police CID and the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator remain the official agencies overseeing the investigation into the unattended body found behind the Walmart on West Maloney Avenue. The collaboration between city detectives and state medical investigators will determine next steps in the case affecting the Gallup community.