Less than 24 hours after The Kansas City Defender published our damning investigation into the death of Jayvon Maurice Givan—and less than 24 hours after over 100 protesters shut down the steps of Albuquerque Police Department headquarters—APD Police Chief Harold Medina announced that the department will seek an independent review of the case.
“Chief Medina says while the death appears to be a suicide, the fact that it involved a hanging is enough reason for further scrutiny,” KOB4 reported Tuesday evening.
The fact that it involved a hanging. A Black man. Found hanging. And it took mass protest and national attention for police to admit that maybe, just maybe, this deserves “further scrutiny,” is troubling in and of itself.
The Family’s Response
Jada Walker, Jayvon’s cousin who filed the missing persons report that finally forced police to acknowledge his death, told KOB4 she welcomes an independent investigation.
“I don’t feel like he went there to harm himself. You know—like—I just don’t feel that,” Walker said.
The family has been saying this from the beginning. They’ve been demanding answers from the beginning. And they were ignored—until The Defender amplified their voices and Black and brown organizers on the ground in New Mexico mobilized.
The Reality Check: What “Independent Investigation” Actually Means
What we should keep in mind is this: any independent investigation will face massive obstacles because APD already destroyed or concealed critical evidence.
KOB4’s own reporting reveals the problem. When their team went to the scene where Jayvon was found—a busy shopping corridor where Alameda and Coors intersect—they discovered that surrounding businesses only retain surveillance video for 45 days. Jayvon died over a year ago. That evidence is gone.
“That’s a sign of what an independent investigation might run into,” KOB4 reporter Ryan Laughlin noted. “Because this is a year old, an independent review may be reliant on how police initially looked into this.”
Read that again: The independent investigation will likely have to rely on the initial police investigation—the same investigation that somehow concluded a Black man found hanging required no follow-up, no family notification, and immediate cremation of the body.
This is why the year-long delay matters. This is why the hasty cremation matters. This is why concealing evidence matters. Every day that passed made a real investigation harder.
What We Know—And What Still Hasn’t Been Released
The police reports obtained by The Defender show that APD has evidence they still haven’t released:
- 39 photographs taken at the scene
- Body camera footage from responding officers
- A journal found with Jayvon’s body
- OMI examination results
An independent investigation should demand immediate release of all this evidence to the family and the public. Anything less is not independence.
Corporate Media Still Missing the Point
Even in announcing this development, corporate media continues to frame the story around “incorrect” social media posts rather than police misconduct.
KOB4’s report stated: “Typically, we do not report on individual suicides for a list of reasons—but Givan’s case went viral after social media videos incorrectly said he was found recently—and found in a tree in the woods.”
Notice what’s emphasized: Social media got details wrong. Not: Police concealed a Black man’s death for over a year. Not: No investigation was conducted. Not: Evidence is being withheld from a grieving family.
The location discrepancy—whether he was found at a commercial building or in the woods—is one of the less relevant details in this tragic story — rather, the central questions are: why was there little-to-no investigation? Why wasn’t his family contacted? Why was his body cremated without first getting in contact with his family? Why did detectives stop responding to the family and refuse to provide answers?
This Is What Community Power Looks Like
Make no mistake: This announcement is a direct result of grassroots organizing pressure and Black journalism.
Monday night, Building Power for Black New Mexico, Millions for Prisoners New Mexico, Albuquerque Save the Kids, and the SouthWest Solidarity Network held an emergency press conference outside APD headquarters. Over 100 people showed up. They demanded:
- An immediate, independent investigation into Jayvon Givan’s death
- Full public release of all evidence, photos, and body camera footage
- Accountability for every officer and official who concealed, delayed, or distorted the facts
- A public acknowledgment that anti-Black violence is alive in New Mexico
Less than 24 hours later, APD announced an independent investigation.
That’s not a coincidence. That’s what happens when people refuse to be gaslit, refuse to accept police narratives, and refuse to go away quietly.
What Happens Next
An independent investigation is a start. But it cannot be the end.
The family and organizers must continue to demand:
- Immediate public release of all evidence – The 39 photos, body camera footage, journal contents, and OMI examination must be made available to the family now, not after an “investigation” that could take months or years.
- True independence – The investigation cannot be conducted by anyone with ties to APD, the Albuquerque Police Officers’ Association, or the city administration. The investigators must be accountable to the community and the family, not to the police.
- Transparency throughout the process – Regular public updates, family access to all findings, and community oversight of the investigation.
- Accountability for the cover-up – The independent investigation must examine not just Jayvon’s death, but why his family wasn’t contacted for over a year, why his body was cremated immediately, and who made those decisions.
The Organizing Continues
Organizers in Albuquerque are not declaring victory. They’re continuing to apply pressure.
The family is planning a balloon release to honor Jayvon’s memory.
The Defender will continue investigating and reporting every development in this case.
Because this is what abolitionist journalism looks like. We don’t accept police narratives at face value. We don’t stop when they make empty promises. We keep pushing until the family has answers and justice is served.
UPDATE (Oct. 7, 2025, 10:00 PM): This is a developing story. The Defender will continue covering all developments in this case.
For updates on the independent investigation and how to support the family’s demands for justice, follow The Kansas City Defender and the organizing groups on the ground in Albuquerque.
