Body found in barrel at Lake Mead could have been underwater since ‘70s
The decomposing body stuffed inside a barrel that was found in a Nevada lake Sunday is believed to be a murder victim who could have been killed nearly five decades ago, police said.
The person, believed to be a man, had been shot and was wearing clothes and shoes that dated back to the mid-to-late 1970s, KLAS-TV reported, citing police.
Metro police homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said the victim’s garments were sold at Kmart during that time period.
Boaters at Lake Mead found the skeletal remains in an eroded container that appeared to be stuck in the mud near a boat ramp that has been extended a half-mile over recent decades as severe drought lowered water levels, according to the station.
Investigators believe the body dated to the mid-70s or 80s, explaining that the beach it was discovered on would have been several dozen feet underwater back then, the article said.
Clark County medical examiners were trying to identify the body as police in the Las Vegas area were reportedly flooded with tips.
Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the US, providing water to some 25 million people, according to the Los Angeles Times. It was formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River.
