New remains discovered at Lake Mead may be linked to bones found last month
Human remains found at Lake Mead National Recreation Area last weekend may actually be from the same set of bones discovered 12 days earlier, authorities said Tuesday.
National Park Service officials said rangers were called Saturday to the reservoir between Nevada and Arizona after skeletal remains were discovered at Swim Beach.
It marked the fourth time since May that remains had been uncovered as Western drought forces the shoreline to retreat at the shrinking Colorado River reservoir behind the Hoover Dam.
But the Clark County coroner's office said partial human remains found in the Boulder Beach area on July 25 may actually be linked to the skeletal remains discovered Saturday.
"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 coroner's office told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
On May 1, a barrel containing human remains was found near Hemenway Harbor. 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.
Six days later, authorities said human skeletal remains of another man were found at Calville Bay.
The discoveries have prompted speculation about long-unsolved missing person and murder cases dating back decades - to organized crime and the early days of Las Vegas, which is just a 30-minute drive from the lake.
A sunken boat dating back to World War II has also been revealed from underneath the shallow waters.
Police have speculated that more remains may be discovered as the water level at Lake Mead continues to recede.
Last week, the United Nations issued a warning that the water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell are at their lowest ever and are getting perilously close to reaching "dead pool status." Such a status means that the water levels are so low that water can't flow downstream to power hydroelectric stations.
Last month, satellite images released by NASA showed Lake Mead's dramatic changes between 2000 and 2022, as its water level has reached its lowest point in more than 85 years.