State Police: Two men shot to death in ABQ

APD says they were not notified about last week’s incident

New Mexico State Police are looking into the deaths of two men found fatally shot in a crashed vehicle off the side of Interstate 40 near Carlisle last week.

Dusty Francisco, a State Police spokesman, said the case is in the “very preliminary stages” and the two bodies were sent to the Office of the Medical Investigator to be identified. No arrests have been made.

“This case is under investigation by (State Police) Investigations Bureau,” he said.

It is unclear why State Police did not alert the public or media to the possible double homicide.

Albuquerque police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said the department was never notified by State Police about the incident.

“Our investigators only found out yesterday during a routine meeting with the (District Attorney’s) Office about recent shootings,” he said Friday. Francisco disputed that, saying that APD previously offered to assist in the investigation.

Although not being investigated by Albuquerque police, the incident leaves the total of homicides in the city this year at 48.

Francisco said on May 7 an officer was flagged down around 2 a.m. at Carlisle and I-40, which is in the area of State Police headquarters. The officer was told a vehicle had rolled off the I-40 on ramp and into a culvert below. He said police found two men dead from gunshot wounds inside the vehicle.

Francisco gave no other details and said anyone with information is asked to contact authorities.