Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina announced Tuesday that his department will seek an outside review of APD’s investigation into the death of Jayvon Givan, a young Black man found hanging from a chain outside a closed business a year ago on Albuquerque’s Westside.
Social media posts — many incorrectly claiming Givan was found hanging from a tree and sharing other incorrect information — had been gaining traction for weeks. By Monday night, City Councilor Nichole Rogers, the city’s only African-American elected official, pressed police officials to reopen its investigation.
According to police reports filed at the time, an employee coming to work found Givan hanging from a chain alongside a stucco column on the patio of business near Alameda Blvd. and Corrales Rd. on the city’s Westside in September 2024. Police found “a journal and eyeglasses” nearby, though reports do not detail what, if anything, was found in the journal.
Medical investigators determined the death was a suicide, according to APD reports, and the case was closed.
The case gained wider attention when a family member reported him missing months later, ultimately connecting the missing persons report and the death. The family has said in public forums that Givan, originally from Kansas, had relocated to New Mexico just before he was discovered dead. APD’s report listed Givan’s home address in Santa Fe, thought it is not clear how investigators determined that connection.
KUNM’s Megan Kamerick reported from the steps of APD’s headquarters during a planned protest Tuesday with family and community members calling for APD to revisit the case.
The Albuquerque Police Department is seeking an independent review of the hanging death last year of a Black man following a rally by community groups Monday night.
City Desk does not normally name individuals who have been the victim of suicide or crimes unless they have been publicly identified by family.
APD did not immediately announce how the independent review would be conducted or when.
City Desk’s Jesse Jones contributed to this report.
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