Public Safety · Valley-wide
Officials plan to publicly name the man found in a barrel at Lake Mead's Hemenway Harbor in May 2022
The Clark County Coroner's Office, Metro police and forensic investigators scheduled a Thursday press conference to identify a homicide victim whose remains surfaced as drought pulled Lake Mead's waters back.
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What happened
KTNV Channel 13 reported that the man whose body was found in a barrel at Lake Mead's Hemenway Harbor in May 2022 is expected to be publicly identified at a Thursday press conference. The Clark County Coroner's Office, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and forensic investigators are taking part, according to the station.
The case has gone unsolved for years. KTNV said the barrel was one of several discoveries that came to light when drought caused the lake's water level to drop, exposing at least four sets of human remains. The station planned to carry a live feed of the 3 p.m. event.
How the barrel case unfolded
Discovery and early findings
National Park Service rangers reported finding the body on May 1, 2022, KTNV reported. A day later, after an initial autopsy, Las Vegas police said they believed the man was likely killed sometime between the mid-1970s and the early 1980s.
Police also said that, thirty to 40 years before the discovery, the barrel would have gone into water 50 to 60 feet deep. On May 3, 2022, police said the man died from a gunshot wound and that his death was likely a homicide.
Speculation and federal help
By June 2022, the case had prompted talk of possible mob ties, according to KTNV. Former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who represented many local mobsters as a defense attorney, told Channel 13, "We have no idea who's in the barrel at this point in time." The FBI also said that month it was assisting local law enforcement.
Clues released to the public
In November 2023, investigators made public composite images of the man created by the FBI as they sought new leads, KTNV reported. In June 2024, photos of his clothing were posted on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons website.
The items included a short-sleeved, button-down shirt, pants that appear to be denim or a light-blue fabric, and sneakers believed to have been sold at Kmart in the 1970s to 1990s, according to the station.
Other remains exposed as the lake dropped
KTNV's timeline shows that the barrel was not the only discovery in 2022. Unlike the barrel case, the other remains have since been identified. Readers following lake conditions can find more coverage in our water section.
Callville Bay and Boulder Beach
- May 7, 2022: Paddleboarders found skeletal remains near Callville Bay, later identified as Thomas Erndt, 42, of Las Vegas, who reportedly drowned at the lake 20 years earlier.
- July 25, August 6 and August 16, 2022: Visitors found remains near the Boulder Beach shoreline that examiners linked to one person, Claude Russell Pensinger of Las Vegas, who was 52 when he disappeared on July 14, 1998. His cause of death was undetermined.
- October 17 and 19, 2022: More remains found near Callville Bay were identified as Donald P. Smith, 39, of North Las Vegas, who reportedly drowned at the lake in April 1974.
Who is involved
According to KTNV, the investigation has drawn in the National Park Service, Las Vegas police, the FBI and the Clark County Coroner's Office. Forensic investigators are also part of the planned announcement. For other law enforcement news around the valley, see our public safety coverage.
What to watch next
- The public identification of the man found in the barrel at the 3 p.m. press conference, according to KTNV.
- Any details officials share about the homicide investigation, which KTNV described as unsolved.
