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Contested death (2000 to present)

Jayvon Maurice Givan

Ruled suicide, disputedSep 17, 2024 · Age 28 · Albuquerque, NM

Who Jayvon was

Jayvon Givan grew up in the Kansas City area with a twin sister, Jaivryon Walker, and a close cousin, Jada Walker, whom he sometimes lived with. He worked at a Dollar Tree and at a gas station.

His family describes him as family-oriented and kind, and his sister called him an electronics genius. He loved adventure and travel, skateboarding and rock climbing. In 2024 he left Kansas City to backpack across the country, and that August he attended a gala for Santa Fe's homeless community at Bishop's Lodge, where he told a reporter he had met "a nice, little lady friend" and was going to "this nice, little banquet."

He last spoke with his family on Aug. 28, 2024.

In the words of those who knew them

  • “Being his twin, I felt like something was wrong.”His twin sister, Jaivryon Walker (quoted by KUNM from the Albuquerque Journal) · source
  • “I feel like if he was going through something, he would have reached out to me.”His twin sister, Jaivryon Walker · source
  • “When I say he loved life, he loved life.”His cousin, Jada Walker (NewsOne attributes this to his twin sister) · source

What happened

Jayvon Maurice Givan, 28, grew up in the Kansas City area and left in 2024 to travel the country. By late summer he was staying at a men's emergency shelter in Santa Fe. On the morning of Sept. 17, 2024, an employee at a shopping center on Corrales Road Northwest in Albuquerque called 911 after finding him dead outside a business that was closed for renovation. Albuquerque police reported no signs of foul play, and the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator ruled the death a suicide.

Police said they could not reach his next of kin. His family did not learn of his death for more than a year. On Oct. 1, 2025, his twin sister, Jaivryon Walker, called Albuquerque police from Kansas City to report him missing and was told he had died. As social media posts spread, some with inaccurate details, about 100 people rallied at police headquarters on Oct. 6. The next day Police Chief Harold Medina said the death appeared to be a suicide but that a hanging was reason for further scrutiny, and he requested an outside review. On Oct. 8, the New Mexico Department of Justice said it had accepted the request and assigned an agent.

Later that month, a city councilor located Jayvon's remains through the state indigent program. His family says he loved life and did not take his own life. No outcome of the state review has been reported.

The case

Where found
Outside a vacant business closed for renovation at a shopping center on Corrales Road NW
Official finding
Suicide (New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator; Albuquerque Police reported no signs of foul play)
Investigation
An employee at the property called 911 on the morning of Sept. 17, 2024. Albuquerque Police reported no signs of foul play, and the Office of the Medical Investigator determined the manner of death was suicide. Police said they could not reach his next of kin, and his family did not learn of his death until his twin sister reported him missing on Oct. 1, 2025. After a rally at police headquarters on Oct. 6, 2025, Police Chief Harold Medina said on Oct. 7 that the death appeared to be a suicide but that a hanging warranted further scrutiny, and he requested an outside review. On Oct. 8, 2025, the New Mexico Department of Justice said it had accepted the request and assigned an agent. No outcome of that review had been reported as of Oct. 19, 2026.
Family position
His twin sister, Jaivryon Walker, rejects the suicide finding. She told KOB 4: "I don't feel like he went there to harm himself, you know, like, I just don't feel that," and told the Albuquerque Journal the case needs to be investigated as a homicide. A cousin, Jada Walker, told the Kansas City Defender: "We know he did not do that."
Public evidence
Police report released to media. The Santa Fe New Mexican quoted the medical investigator's postmortem report. Scene photos, lapel camera footage and the full medical investigator file have not been released publicly.
Federal review
None reported. The review is by the New Mexico Department of Justice, a state agency.
Last verified
2026-11-14
Verification note: Age: the Santa Fe New Mexican, KOB and City Desk ABQ say 28; the Albuquerque Journal, NewsOne, People and others say 29 (City Desk gives an Oct. 8 birthday, so he was 28 when found). Date: nearly all sources say Sept. 17, 2024; the Albuquerque Journal alone says Sept. 27. Location: NewsOne, Black Enterprise and Bossip say Corrales, NM; police reports and local outlets place it in Albuquerque on Corrales Road NW (the Daily Lobo ran a correction). Relationships: most outlets call Jaivryon Walker his twin sister; the Daily Lobo calls her a cousin; the Kansas City Defender and Bossip say cousin Jada Walker filed the missing persons report. Cremation before his family was notified is reported by the Kansas City Defender and others; City Desk ABQ hasn't confirmed it. Viral social media claims that he was found on a tree in the bosque and died recently are contradicted by the police report. The date of the medical investigator's ruling hasn't been made public.

Sources

Record history

  1. Nov 14, 2026 · Reviewed update
    Record updated
    • Verification note: Age: the Santa Fe New Mexican, KOB and City Desk ABQ say 28; the Albuquerque Journal, NewsOne, People and others say 29 (City Desk gives an Oct. 8 birthday, so he was 28 when found). Date: nearly all sources say Sept. 17, 2024; the Albuquerque Journal alone says Sept. 27. Location: NewsOne, Black Enterprise and Bossip say Corrales, NM; police reports and local outlets place it in Albuquerque on Corrales Road NW (the Daily Lobo ran a correction). Relationships: most outlets call Jaivryon Walker his twin sister; the Daily Lobo calls her a cousin; the Kansas City Defender and Bossip say cousin Jada Walker filed the missing persons report. Cremation before his family was notified is reported by the Kansas City Defender and others; City Desk ABQ hasn't confirmed it. Viral social media claims that he was found on a tree in the bosque and died recently are contradicted by the police report. The date of the medical investigator's ruling hasn't been made public.
  2. Oct 21, 2026 · Reviewed update
    Case added
    • Name: Jayvon Maurice Givan
    • Age: 28
    • Date found: 2024-09-17
    • City or county: Albuquerque
    • State: NM
    • Status: Ruled suicide, disputed
    • Life updated
    • Remembered updated
    • Life sources updated
    • What happened updated
    • What happened sources updated
    • Where found: Outside a vacant business closed for renovation at a shopping center on Corrales Road NW
    • Official finding: Suicide (New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator; Albuquerque Police reported no signs of foul play)
    • Investigation: An employee at the property called 911 on the morning of Sept. 17, 2024. Albuquerque Police reported no signs of foul play, and the Office of the Medical Investigator determined the manner of death was suicide. Police said they could not reach his next of kin, and his family did not learn of his death until his twin sister reported him missing on Oct. 1, 2025. After a rally at police headquarters on Oct. 6, 2025, Police Chief Harold Medina said on Oct. 7 that the death appeared to be a suicide but that a hanging warranted further scrutiny, and he requested an outside review. On Oct. 8, 2025, the New Mexico Department of Justice said it had accepted the request and assigned an agent. No outcome of that review had been reported as of Oct. 19, 2026.
    • Family position: His twin sister, Jaivryon Walker, rejects the suicide finding. She told KOB 4: "I don't feel like he went there to harm himself, you know, like, I just don't feel that," and told the Albuquerque Journal the case needs to be investigated as a homicide. A cousin, Jada Walker, told the Kansas City Defender: "We know he did not do that."
    • Public evidence: Police report released to media. The Santa Fe New Mexican quoted the medical investigator's postmortem report. Scene photos, lapel camera footage and the full medical investigator file have not been released publicly.
    • Federal review: None reported. The review is by the New Mexico Department of Justice, a state agency.
    • Verification note: Age: the Santa Fe New Mexican, KOB and City Desk ABQ say 28; the Albuquerque Journal, NewsOne, People and others say 29 (City Desk gives an Oct. 8 birthday, so he was 28 when found). Date: nearly all sources say Sept. 17, 2024; the Albuquerque Journal alone says Sept. 27. Location: NewsOne, Black Enterprise and Bossip say Corrales, NM; police reports and local outlets place it in Albuquerque on Corrales Road NW (the Daily Lobo ran a correction). Relationships: most outlets call Jaivryon Walker his twin sister; the Daily Lobo calls her a cousin; the Kansas City Defender and Bossip say cousin Jada Walker filed the missing persons report. Cremation before notification is reported by the Kansas City Defender and others but City Desk ABQ could not confirm it. Viral social media claims that he was found on a tree in the bosque and died recently are contradicted by the police report. The date of the medical investigator's ruling was not found.
    • Sources updated