Las Vegas investigators say they’ve identified shooting victim’s body found in Lake Mead barrel
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
Authorities in Las Vegas say they have identified a man whose body was found in a barrel in Lake Mead in 2022, and planned to announce his identity at a news briefing. The identification may help investigators make progress in a suspected murder case that has remained unresolved for four years.
Boaters discovered the barrel at Hemenway Harbor on 1 May 2022. A gunshot wound led authorities to suspect foul play, and the victim’s clothing suggested he may have been killed between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s; some experts have speculated about a mob connection, but that has not been established. Falling water levels have exposed other human remains in the lake.
- Investigators identified a suspected murder victim found in Lake Mead.
- Boaters discovered the barrel in May 2022.
- The victim may have died between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s.
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Lake Mead is a reservoir on the Colorado River, east of Las Vegas, and Hemenway Harbor is one of its boating areas. In 2022, boaters found a barrel there containing a man’s body; a gunshot wound led authorities to investigate a suspected killing.
The clothing suggested the man may have died between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s, but his identity and the circumstances of his death were unknown. Speculation about a possible organised-crime link has not been confirmed. Falling water levels have also exposed other human remains in the lake.
Full account
Las Vegas investigators say they have identified the man whose remains were found inside a metal barrel at Lake Mead in May 2022. Police and the Clark County coroner’s office were expected to announce his identity at a news conference later that day. The reports provided here do not give the name or the outcome of that announcement.
Boaters found the corroded barrel buried in mud near Hemenway Harbor as drought-driven falling water levels exposed parts of the lakebed. The man had been shot in the head before his body was placed in the barrel, according to the coroner. Investigators estimated he was aged between 40 and 50. Clothing and other items recovered with the remains, including Kmart-branded clothes and trainers, led authorities to place the killing between 1975 and 1985.
The discovery prompted speculation about organised crime, in part because disposing of a body in a barrel has been associated with mob killings. Some accounts highlighted theories linking the victim to figures connected with Las Vegas casinos and the Chicago Outfit, including Tony Spilotro, Jonny Pappas, George ‘Jay’ Vandermark and William Crespo. Those suggestions were presented as speculation; the reports do not establish a connection between the killing and any of them.
The case also drew attention to other remains exposed by Lake Mead’s receding waters, including people thought to have drowned or gone missing. A retired Las Vegas police lieutenant quoted in one report compared the case with violence from the city’s past and noted that development has also uncovered remains on land once beyond the built-up area. The identification may help investigators clarify who the victim was, but the accounts supplied here do not say who killed him or why.
Where outlets differ
The first report focuses on the expected identification, the discovery and broader local context, and quotes a retired police lieutenant who believes a mob killing is possible. The second gives more detail about the estimated age, recovered items and theories about possible identities, while also quoting a serving lieutenant who cautions that the connection to organised crime was unknown until identification.
Both accounts say a public announcement was expected at 3pm Pacific time, but neither supplied report gives the announced identity or the result of the news conference.
The reports vary in how they describe who exposed or found the barrel: one says boaters discovered it at Hemenway Harbor, while the other says police uncovered the body as water levels fell. They may be referring to different stages of discovery.