Police: Found body is Sandra Sanchez

SOCORRO, N.M. (KRQE) - Investigators identified a body found Sunday near Socorro, N.M. as that of a woman missing from Valencia County.

Los Lunas Police confirmed Sunday that the badly decomposed body found is Sandra Sanchez.

The body was found at 2:30 a.m. in Water Canyon, just west of Socorro.

Campers told News 13 that Police were digging around a culvert.

Sanchez, 43, was last seen walking into a Walgreens in Los Lunas on April 3. A few days later, officers found her car in the parking lot of an Albuquerque Motel.

Police aren't saying who found the body, but they removed it Sunday morning. They also aren't releasing how she died.

Sanchez's brother was at Water Canyon when his sister's remains were found and identified.

"They're happy in one sense that she's been found, and they're sad to confirm that she's actually deceased, but at least there's some closure," Los Lunas Police Department Chief Roy Melnick said.

Los Lunas Police said they've executed several search warrants in the case, and even have a person of interest.

However, they admit that there's plenty of work left before the case is solved.

If you have any information that may help the investigation, call state police or Los Lunas Police.