There are a few facts that cause me to truly doubt the the validity of this story.. about the photo is that the person who posted it has since taken it down--to late with how the Internet functions, of course.. According to New Mexico local news affiliate KRQE, the New Mexican posted the image but does not know the source of it..
But the most important fact: The photograph looks pretty much like an image from the 1983 movie XTRO.
See here:
I think it's fair to say that this skinwalker image has been debunked...
What's amazing about the Internet: Rumors and fiction spread fast.
But the other amazing part: Truth and reality also do, too.. there's millions of people who believe urban legends and lies, but a lot more who work hard to constantly debunk those myths.
I can tell you this, of course, nothing of this story being false leads any judgement over the skinwalker legend itself.
But the image rolling around surely is not real..