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Lake Mead barrel homicide victim identified after decades, officials say
Clark County authorities have identified the man whose remains were found in a barrel at Lake Mead in 2022, but have not released his name. Detectives are still investigating a killing they believe occurred in the late 1970s or early 1980s.
The man whose remains were found inside a barrel at Lake Mead more than four years ago has been identified, the Clark County coroner’s office said. His name has not been publicly released, and the homicide investigation remains open.
The remains were discovered May 1, 2022, at Hemenway Harbor after falling water levels exposed the barrel. Investigators determined the victim was an adult man, estimated to have been between 27 and 61 years old when he died. Authorities believe he was shot in the back of the head sometime from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, then placed in the barrel and dumped in the lake.
The coroner’s office worked with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Unit on the identification. In 2024, Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse described DNA testing as a key part of the effort, while noting that a DNA profile can only produce a match if there is a profile available for comparison.
Investigators also used the victim’s largely intact remains, clothing and belongings to help develop a profile. Items included a short-sleeved button-down shirt, jeans with a 46-inch waist and 30-inch inseam, size 11 blue-and-white Trax shoes and a silver Timex watch.
The barrel discovery drew comparisons to the 1976 killing of former mobster Johnny Roselli, whose body was found in a barrel in Florida’s Biscayne Bay. But authorities have not publicly established any connection between Roselli’s case, organized crime and the Lake Mead homicide.
Identifying the victim marks a significant step in a case that has remained unresolved for decades. Detectives continue to seek information about who killed him and why.