According to University officials, the UNM Police Department is currently conducting an investigation into a death which occurred at the Sigma Chi house. There is no evidence of foul play at this time. No further information was available at time of publication. Check the Daily Lobo website for more on this story as it develops.
UPDATE:
A UNM student Garrett Elders was found dead in Sigma Chi Fraternity House late Tuesday evening. According to the police report, a fraternity member told police that Elders had “killed himself.”
According to police reports, fraternity members found Elders in his room hanging from a tie wrapped around his neck. Fraternity members had not seen Elders since a meeting Sunday.
Fraternity members told police they had smelled a foul odor in the building, but had had sewer and plumbing problems and believed the smell was coming from the sewer system, but became concerned about Elders when he wasn’t seen for several days.
According to a police report, Joshua Gallegos, a fraternity member, told police they knocked on Elders’ room, where he lived alone, and hearing no answer, opened the door to find him dead.
The police report states UNM police officers arrived on scene at 12:42 am Wednesday. Albuquerque Ambulance and Fire Department arrived on scene shortly after and determined Elders had been deceased for some time and did not attempt to resuscitate.
After returning from spring break, Elders had told fraternity members that he was suffering from back pain and had received a prescription, according to police reports. Elders told Gallegos he was having trouble sleeping, and Gallegos told police he had seen Elders in the common area late at night in recent days.
Police contacted the victim’s mother, Rhonda Hill and she said her son had been having depression issues for some time.
Police are still investigating the incident, and took the victim’s computer into custody in search of any notes written by Elders prior to his death.
President of Sigma Chi, Bennet Myers, told the Daily Lobo the fraternity and its members will be praying for Elders and his family.
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