Maverik construction halted in Rio Communities after human remains found

Demolition work for the planned Maverik gas station in Rio Communities came to an abrupt stop after crews uncovered human skeletal remains at the corner of N.M. 47 and Manzano Expressway, putting the project on hold and sending the site into state review.

The discovery was made Tuesday, April 21, as workers were tearing down the old car dealership to clear the property for construction. The crew immediately halted work and called law enforcement, and Valencia County Sheriff’s Office detective Ben Lankasky responded to the scene.

Lankasky said investigators quickly agreed the remains appeared human and then contacted the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator. OMI sent a field investigator, and forensic anthropologist Heather Edgar of the University of New Mexico was brought in because the remains were skeletal. By the next morning, the area was being examined carefully so the bones could be photographed, assessed and handled in a controlled way rather than rushed through.

The case did not remain in the category of a typical death investigation. OMI determined the bones were not of criminal or medical concern because of their believed age, shifting the focus from foul play to documentation and preservation. That distinction matters for a project site sitting on one of Rio Communities’ busier corridors, where earth-moving had already begun and construction was no longer just on paper.

Work remained suspended while the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division reviewed the find. The pause means the Maverik project cannot move forward until the separate preservation process is complete, leaving the corner quiet while state officials determine how the site should be handled.

OMI, which was created by the New Mexico State Legislature in 1972 and became operational in 1973, has long served as the state’s medical examiner system after replacing the county coroner model. In this case, that statewide structure is the one guiding the initial response while Valencia County waits on a preservation decision that will determine when builders can return to the site.