Viral claims about man's death in Albuquerque at odds with police report

A man found dead in northwest Albuquerque has sparked internet theories and national conversation after commenters claimed he was recently found hanging from a tree in the bosque in what they described as a lynching.

But a report from the Albuquerque Police Department showed the man, 29-year-old Jayvon Givan, had been dead for more than a year before his name began to circulate online.

A property owner found Givan hanging from a chain in his vacant building near Corrales and N.M. 528 on Sept. 27, 2024, and called APD. The responding officer found Givan dead, with his journal and a pair of glasses sitting atop a nearby pillar, according to a police report filed at the time.

“We were informed about speculation on social media related to the death of an out-of-state man in the Albuquerque area,” Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for APD, said. “Investigators did not identify signs of foul play, and the Office of the Medical Investigator determined that Mr. Givan died by suicide.”

Speculation about Givan’s death began after his twin sister, Jaivryon Walker, became worried that he hadn’t been in touch and contacted APD to file a missing persons report on Oct. 1.

Givan had moved from Kansas City to Albuquerque in 2024 to pursue a new life, his family said. But after months of no contact, Walker became concerned that something had happened to her brother.

Walker told the Journal it was unlike her brother to not call or text, especially since their birthday was coming up in a few days.

“Being his twin, I felt like something was wrong,” Walker said. “He didn’t talk to me much during that time period because I didn’t want him to go down there (Albuquerque) ... but even if we didn’t talk for months he would always text me about our birthday.”

Police filed a missing person report after Walker’s call.

“An APD missing persons detective located the police report from 2024 and informed the caller of the circumstances of her relative’s death,” Gallegos said. “We send our condolences to Mr. Givan’s family for the tragic loss of their loved one.”

According to Walker, police had attempted to notify the next of kin when they found him dead, but were not able to make contact with Givan’s mother, so Walker did not find out about his death until she filed the missing person report.

When police told Walker about her brother’s death, she said she felt his presence was gone from Earth. However, she did not believe that Givan had committed suicide.

“We had never felt he was suicidal,” she said. “I believe the case needs to be opened up and investigated as a homicide.”

Walker believes APD failed to notify her family or properly investigate Givan’s death because he was a homeless Black man.

“I think they just ruled it out because they had already seen him in the homeless shelter,” she said.

Prior to his death, Givan had a warrant out for his arrest for allegedly conspiring to commit armed robbery at a Cricket Wireless store in Rio Rancho on Jan. 25, 2024.

According to a criminal complaint, Givan and two other men allegedly stole cellphones from the store before selling one of the phones at an Eco ATM at a Walmart on N.M. 528. Police used security footage from the Walmart to identify the men.

A grand jury indicted Givan on a lesser charge of receiving stolen property, but another warrant was issued for Givan’s arrest after he failed to appear in court.

On Monday, social activist group Black Lives Matter of New Mexico, along with over 100 protesters, gathered in front of APD headquarters in support of Givan and to declare an “immediate autopsy and full transparency for the Givan family and for the public,” according to a social media post by the SouthWest Solidarity Network. The group also called for APD Police Chief Harold Medina to step down from his role.

The group, led by activist Selinda Guerrero, said they would take to marching in the streets and disrupt the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta if their demands were not met.

“I think the most important thing is lifting up the families demands,” she said. “We don’t trust the police to further investigate and we want an independent investigation.”

Walker said she’s spent her days reminiscing on her brother and calling on APD to conduct further investigations.

“He was an electronic genius,” Walker said. “This guy can (take) any electronic apart and put it back together. He was family-oriented, and he was just a good person to be around.”