Another dead body
Man missing since Feb. 3 found in field

Gallup Police Detective Harold Littlefield talks with BNSF Railroad officials at the scene where the body of a man was found. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Brian Leddy

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — Police found the body of Calvin Carl Smith in a field across East 66 Avenue from the Silver Stallion Saloon, Thursday. Smith, 27, had been missing since Feb. 4.

He was last seen outside Uptown Plaza at 1120 E. 66 Ave., according to police. Smith’s family went to work right away, filing a missing person report with Gallup Police Department, placing a search notice in the Independent and combing fields and arroyos in and around Gallup.

They also made their own missing-person posters, which they distributed around Gallup. Scores of the same family members sat weeping in the Silver Stallion parking lot Thursday as police worked to identify Smith’s remains.

They had received a tip Thursday morning that Smith had been seen drinking in the field on the north side of the railroad tracks, across the street from the Silver Stallion, Wednesday night. The caller told family members that Smith had spent the night, prompting family to call Gallup Police around 12:17 p.m. Thursday. Police arrived to search the area and found Smith’s body about an hour later.

“It appears that he died from exposure,” Gallup Police Detective Lt. Rick White said. “No foul play is suspected but it is still under investigation.”

Reporter Phil Stake can be reached at philip.stake@gmail.com, or by calling (505) 863-6811 x222.