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The man whose body was found Tuesday afternoon near Cripple Creek in Carnuel has been identified as 34-year-old Joey Rael, Bernalillo County sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Williamson said in an emailed news update.
Rael was reported missing by his family on Sunday, Williamson said.
Investigators are continuing to work with the state Office of the Medical Investigator to determine the cause of death.
6:09am — Body found under I-40 in Carnuel
Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies are investigating a suspicious death after a hiker discovered a body near Cripple Creek in Carnuel Tuesday afternoon, KOAT-TV reported.
Detectives said the body was found face down on the ground under Interstate 40 where Cripple Creek Road dead-ends off Coyote Springs, Action 7 News said.
“(The hiker) came across an unresponsive individual that was lying face down in the creek,” Deputy Aaron Williamson told KOAT-TV.
Investigators were trying to determine how long the body had been in the creek, according to Action 7 News.
“They are treating it as suspicious just because of the location the individual was found in,” Williamson said.
The state Office of the Medical Investigator is working to determine the cause of death, KOAT-TV said.
