Body found on I-40 median raises questions

Arkansas State Police investigate possible hit-and-run involving missing Honduras man

By DON WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

The evening trafc on Interstate 40 in West Memphis moved with its usual pace Sunday, unaware of the discovery just off the roadway that would prompt a police investigation stretching across international boundaries.

Around 7:30 p.m. on April 6, the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division was dispatched to the 280-mile marker on I-40 eastbound after a passerby reported spotting a body in the grassy median. The man was later identied as 26-yearold Selvin Adonis Gutierrez Martinez of Honduras.

Martinez had been reported missing three days prior,, on April 3, after he was last seen near the Express Inn in West Memphis. At the time he vanished, he was wearing a white jacket with black sleeves and white Adidas shoes, a description that helped police conrm his identity.

Authorities now suspect Martinez may have been struck by a vehicle. That theory, however, remains unconrmed as investigators await ndings from the Arkansas State Crime Lab, where his body has been sent for an autopsy to determine the exact cause and manner of death.

The West Memphis Police Department initially took the missing person report, but with the discovery on the interstate, the ccase has shifted into the hands of state investigators. As of now, no vehicle has been linked to the scene and ofcials have not released details regarding potential suspects or witnesses.

Police have said the investigation remains active.

The body of Selvin Martinez was found Sunday in the I-40 median. Authorities suspect Martinez may be the victim of a hit and run.

City of West Memphis