Eric Blackmon, 40, died from multiple stab wounds during a fight in a shopping center parking lot. Passersby discovered human remains, likely from the 70s or 80s, in a rusty barrel near Lake Mead's shoreline on Sunday. LAS VEGAS (AP) Las Vegas police believe a body found inside a barrel on the newly exposed bottom of Lake Mead is that of a man who had been shot.Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer also said Tuesday that . Don't miss the big stories. Two bodies discovered at Lake Mead A drought-starved lake near Las Vegas led to the discovery of human remains found Sunday inside a barrel with a victim believed to have been killed. Body found in barrel at Lake Mead. The body found in a barrel at the bottom of Nevada's drought-stricken Lake Mead is that of a man who was shot to death, police confirmed Tuesday.. Since 2013, Schafer and other volunteers have pulled 10 to 12 bodies from the lake. Other names mentioned as the possible victim have been William Crespo, a drug mule whod allegedly turned government witness before vanishing in 1983, and Jay Vandermark, a slot machine manager who possibly knew too much about money skimming operations. All rights reserved. I wouldnt use the word confident. Geoffrey Schumacher, vice president of exhibits and programs at the museum, tells The Independent the standout theory is that the body may be that of Johnny Pappas. While no details were immediately available about the fourth set of remains, investigators later said the remains may be linked to partial human remains found on July 25 at the water line of the swimming area. "It's possible, of course, that the bodies that are turning up in Lake Mead are mob relatedrelated to the Tony Spilotro years in Las Vegas," Chicago mob expert and author John Binder told the I-Team. Less than two weeks after the body in barrel discovery, North of Hemenway Harbor at Callville Bay, more remains were found. But it may be that all three unidentified Lake Mead bodies had no Chicago mob ties, and all of this is pure coincidence. KSNVThumbnail. Thats the equivalent of about 15 human cells, Mittelman said. "At this time, the investigation into these remains includes working to determine whether the two sets of remains are from the same person or not," the coroners office told the Las Vegas Review-Journal last week. Two dead bodies were found in Lake Mead just outside of Las Vegas. A rusted metal barrel, near the location of where a different barrel was found containing a human body, sits exposed on shore during low water levels due to the western drought at the Lake Mead Marina on the Colorado River in Boulder City, Nevada, on May 5, 2022. Police believe the remains were that of a man who died from a gunshot wound, and the body was likely dumped in the mid-1970s to early 1980s. Dr. Rebecca Hsu, a forensic pathologist in the Valley for more than 20 years, said finding out who. As it was, in 1986, Spilotro and his brother Michael were found dead in an Indiana cornfield grave. Las Vegas . According to the National Park Service, the latest set of human remains was discovered on August 15, at the lake's Swim Beach. Bobbi Eugene Shaw has been missing since 1977 and was involved with the mafia, his sister told KVVU. As the lake levels dropped, a decaying barrel emerged onto the shore. Homicide investigators believe the victim was shot to death . They realized a body was inside. Stephanie Wenger. This is the third known set of remains found at Lake Mead since the breaking story of remains found in a barrel in May. There is no instruction manual for disposing of Outfit operatives. Im hoping so, he said regarding solving the case. Police estimate the body had been in the lake since the early 1980s or possibly even earlier. On May 1, the first set of human remains at the depleted lake was discovered inside a barrel near Hemenway Harbor. This figure is on top of any other bodies that died from other means that may be in the lake. While the water levels rose slightly in recent weeks due to heavy rainfall in the area, the reservoir remains only 27 percent at its full capacity. 5th Set of Human Remains Found at Lake Mead in Recent Months, 'Very Good Chance' More Bodies Will Be Discovered in Lake Where Body in Barrel Was Found: Police, More Human Remains Found in Lake Mead, the 4th Such Discovery Since May, Kiely Rodni: Body and Car Found in Reservoir Near Last Known Location of California Teen, 3rd Set of Human Remains Found at Lake Mead, National Park Service Says, A Young Woman Who Was Reported Missing Was Found Slain in a Remote Field 6 Days Later and Killer Is at Large, Beloved Wash. Barb Markoff, Christine Tressel and Ross Weidner. Brian Ross is joined. Someone had to have a boat, and someone had to put someone in the barrel and push them off the boat, LT. Spencer said. Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer also said Tuesday that shoes worn by . If police are able to find identifying pieces in the remains, they will then take a look at who went missing in the time period they are investigating. Police said the barrel. The FBI confirmed Wednesday that the agency is involved in investigating the death of a man whose body was found in a barrel at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Binder said Anthony "Ant" Spilotro, who ran Vegas for the Chicago mob into the 1980's, had a hand in "disappearing" untold numbers of people who had "run afoul of organized crime.". Othram Labs has played crucial roles in Las Vegas cold cases before. A barrel containing human remains was discovered Sunday by boaters at Lake Mead just outside of Las Vegas. A body found in a barrel at the bottom of Lake Mead is being tested for the DNA of a man that went missing 45 years ago. A bathtub ring of light minerals shows the high water line of Lake Mead near Hoover Dam at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area near Boulder City, Nevada, on June 26, 2022. So, we're not talking about people that are really famous. (AP Photo/John Locher, File). Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. Shawna Elizabeth Hollister More human remains were. LAS VEGAS (KTNV) Three sets of human remains found at Lake Mead in recent weeks offer three new mysteries to be solved by the Clark County coroner. Inside were human remains. The. Since May, five human bodies have been discovered in the lake. If you notice Im saying if, because it will be a very challenging part of this investigation, Lt. Spencer said. A lot depends on where in the lake a body is deposited, and what lake. These were located in the same area as partial remains that were discovered on July 25. If I touch my hand thats left hundreds of cells. Speculation continues; people continue to ask me, for example, all the time about it. IE 11 is not supported. The lakes water level as of Monday was 1,052 above sea level, online data shows. An ongoing drought has led to a steep decline in the water level of Lake Mead, the nation's largest manmade reservoir, which is located in Nevada and Arizona and is formed by the Hoover Dam. Secrets below the surface: The investigation into the body found in a barrel at Lake Mead It's over 100 miles long and at its depths more than 1,000 feet, Lake Mead leaves decades of. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? The investigation is ongoing, and no further information will be immediately provided, the NPS said. And could the latest body found be Billy "Bahama" Crespo, who was a mob drug courier? However, a lab in Texas that specializes in advanced DNA testing using genealogical data believes they have the resources to help. The 8 News Now I-Team first reported the news of the discovery. Example video title will go here for this video. A barrel containing human remains was discovered in Nevada's Lake Mead over the weekend as a historic drought grips the West. While the body in the barrel holds endless fascination for the public, hearkening back to the mob history of Vegas, Mr Schumacher believes the large majority of the discoveries will be drowning victims but concedes it is possible that another murder victim could surface. In a statement to the Review-Journal, the department declined to say more than that they were involved in the investigation. LAS VEGAS (KSNV) The FBI is now helping out in an investigation into human remains found in a barrel at Lake Mead last month. Lead on ID of body found in Lake Mead barrel Updated: Aug. 8, 2022 at 6:19 PM PDT Geo resource failed to load. The discovery came a week after the decayed body of a man was found stuffed in a steel barrel near the reservoir's Hemenway Fishing Pier, more than 20 miles from Callville Bay, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Johnny Roselli, one of Chicago's most notorious Chicago hoodlums, was found in a barrel in Biscayne Bay, Florida, in 1976. "The cause and manner of Mr. Erndt's death is undetermined. But it. A stock photo shows Lake Mead. At the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, however, it was the first theyd heard of Mr Shaw. A witness reported seeing human skeletal remains at Callville Bay within Lake Mead National Recreation Area at 2 p.m. local time Saturday, the National Park Service said in a release. soap-like consistency known as adipocere. However . But it's shrinking at a terrifying rate and now stands just one quarter full (Image: AFP) . Body in barrel discovered at Lake Mead is likely a gunshot murder victim from decades ago, police say Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse has since preliminarily ruled the cause and manner. Forensic anthropologists say they expect to recover more human remains. A set of skeletal remains that were found in Lake Mead in May have been identified as a 42-year-old man who reportedly drowned two decades ago. Thats the lowest level on record since the reservoir was filed in the 1930s, CNN reported. It's theorized that these bodies are connected to Las Vegas mob hits. Had the water level not receded so far, we never make the discovery, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? That includes possibly the most famous case - the death of a mobster Johnny Roselli. All Rights Reserved. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, discovered a decomposing body in a barrel, Man drops human jawbone off at California police station and then leaves, Missing rappers, friend found dead days after canceled performance in Detroit: report, Missing 15-year-old girl found dead near Michigan high school, Man stole funeral home van with corpse in back, dumped body on Chicago street, the National Park Service said in a statement, could have been killed in the mid-1970s or 80s. And who knows the breadth of scenarios in which people have died there., Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. That person was believed to have been killed between the mid-1970s and the early 1980s based on clothing and footwear the victim was found with, Las Vegas police said in a statement at the time. The lakes levels have dropped to their lowest in nearly 100 years as climate change worsens, not only threatening resources but also revealing secrets. A forensic anthropology professor at Colorado Mesa University, Melissa Connor, previously told Newsweek that they the bodies within the Lake may have turned into a "soap-like consistency known as adipocere. They probably have a better chance of being discovered, in terms of who they are, now, than if they had actually been found in the 70s, Hsu said. Lake Mead and Lake Powell upstream are the largest human-made reservoirs in the U.S., part of a system that provides water to more than 40 million people, tribes, agriculture and industry in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming and across the southern border in Mexico, according to The Associated Press. Rangers with the National Park Service got a call Saturday afternoon when a visitor reported finding human skeletal remains at Callville Bay in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Investigators determined that the body belonged to a homicide victim from the '70s or '80s. The manner of his death was homicide.". Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The water levels are now so low, that more of the lakeshore can be seen and are uncovering what was once hidden. The Clark County Coroner determined the man died by gunshot wound, and his shoes lead detectives to believe the murder took place in the late 70s or early 80s. Since May, five human bodies have been discovered in the lake. Las Vegas police believe a body found inside a barrel in the newly exposed bottom of Lake Mead was that of a man who had been shot. Like us on Facebook. The Clark County coroner, police near Las Vegas and federal agents are working to identify this latest corpse and two others found a few months ago in the receding waters. Lake Mead's water levels are dropping due to the ongoing megadrought in the western United States. The decedent was a male who died from a gunshot would. On May 7, human skeletal remains were found near the lake's Callville Bay, according to NPS. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Mystery behind bodies found in Lake Mead renews interest in Vegas mob lore From the The Kentucky Derby, the escaped Alabama inmate and former prison officer, and more top stories from the. Since the barrel had rusted through in its decades underwater, a high level of degradation is likely. Even before the water levels began dropping, Lake Mead was considered one of America's deadliest national parks. Lombardo supports push to publicly fund transportation for charter school students, Nevada lawmakers to consider bill that prevents officials from moving people sleeping on streets, Tip creep: Notice a rise in requests at the register? Mittelman said theyve solved multiple cases with remains found in bodies of water decades earlier. Police have speculated that more remains may be discovered as the water level at Lake Mead continues to recede. One set of human remains were discovered in a barrelpolice believe the remains belong to the victim of a mob-related shooting.. 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