A 21-year-old man from Gallup, New Mexico, who had been missing for several weeks, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Sunday near Vallecito Lake, northeast of Durango, police said.
The man was identified as Gregory Alexander Winkler, according to La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith.
Winkler was from Gallup but was attending New Mexico State University in Las Cruces when he went missing around mid-April.
Recently, Winkler’s truck was found parked about 5 miles up Middle Mountain Road.
Over the weekend, a search and rescue mission attempted to find Winkler in the area, a heavily forested and remote part of the San Juan Mountains.
A family member found Winkler’s body Sunday, Smith said, which was about 400 yards from where his truck was parked.
Smith said an autopsy was expected to be performed Tuesday. She said Winkler’s body had been in the forest for at least several days.
Smith was unsure why Winkler was in La Plata County. She also did not know if Winkler suffered from a history of depression.
A spokesman with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately have information Monday morning about the incident.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
