Las Vegas authorities have identified a man whose remains were discovered in a barrel in Lake Mead four years ago, according to local officials. Investigators expect to announce the victim's identity publicly later today. The discovery of the barrel was aided by receding water levels in the lake, a factor that has also exposed other human remains, including those of suspected drowning victims and missing persons.
A group of boaters first found the barrel at Hemenway Harbor on May 1, 2022, as noted by the Clark County coroner and medical examiner's office. Upon opening the container, authorities immediately suspected foul play after finding a gunshot wound on the man's body. At the time of the discovery, police told reporters they believed the victim had been killed between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s, a timeframe determined by the clothing found with the remains.
Randy Sutton, a retired Las Vegas police lieutenant who has been monitoring the case, commented on the resurfacing of such cases. "The bad old days always resurface, don’t they?" he said. Sutton and other experts have suggested the victim may have been killed in a mob hit. Describing mob-style murders from that era, Sutton said, "Two in the back of the head," and added that perpetrators would "Bury them in the desert or Lake Mead if they didn’t want them found or leave them where they lay to make a statement."
Sutton also noted that the construction of new housing developments has unearthed human remains in areas of Las Vegas that were previously outside town limits. Las Vegas authorities stated they would hold a news briefing at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET to provide more details on the identification.