The death of a 22-year-old Española man, initially being investigated as a potential homicide, has been ruled an accidental drug overdose by state medical investigators.
Manuel Archuleta’s body was discovered May 11 in the Rio Grande bosque behind the Española seventh grade school. Because there was no immediate evidence of an overdose, and because Archuleta had recently been wounded during a large altercation, Española Police began investigating his death as a possible murder.
But an autopsy report by the state Office of the Medical Investigator, released Monday, states that “acute cocaine and alcohol toxicity” caused Archuleta’s death.
Archuleta’s aunt, Martha Archuleta, wrote a letter describing her nephew’s love for his family and decrying the media’s focus on “vices and negativity.”
“While it has been a great loss for our family and we struggle to get by, we know that at least we knew the ‘real’ Manny, who despite living a difficult life, loved his baby girl, family and friends so much, that he’d give his shirt off his back for any of them,” Archuleta wrote. “If people could see a grandmother who still cries upon mention of her precious grandson or the father, mother, brothers and sisters, aunt and countless others who are suffering sleepless nights remembering Manny, they would know just how important he was and how he impacted others’ lives — for the better.”
Archuleta said her nephew loved the outdoors, and loved to go fishing with his father and brother. He adored his daughter Reina and would flash a proud smile to show how big she was getting, Archuleta wrote.