A grim discovery outside Las Vegas has spurred a Bureau of Land Management investigation
Piles of human remains were discovered outside of Searchlight, NV. Here’s what you need to know about this developing story.
An individual who would like to remain anonymous made a grim discovery outside of Searchlight, a rural community located roughly an hour outside of Las Vegas. The person reportedly found around 70 piles of human remains on one of the town’s dirt roads. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has opened an investigation into how exactly the ashes came to be carelessly discarded in this manner.
KLAS spoke with an official from the Bureau, who stated that they’re actively investigating the matter but did not have any updates as of August 25. The outlet noted that there aren’t any laws in place in Nevada that bar someone from scattering ashes on public lands, but there are BLM policies outlining specific limits. Namely, there’s a policy limiting the “commercial distribution of cremated remains,” though it’s unclear as to whether this plays into the current situation unfolding in Searchlight.
Where did the human remains come from?
As of writing, limited information is available surrounding the discovery of cremated human ashes in Searchlight. It’s unclear as to where the cremains came from and whether they were disposed of purposely or accidentally. KLAS notes that the anonymous individual who found the piles initially reported their findings a few weeks ago, though the discovery has only recently become public knowledge.
Other concerning discoveries were previously made in Lake Mead
Las Vegas is unfortunately no stranger to gruesome discoveries, as Lake Mead has been the epicenter of similarly grim mysteries over the last few years. A body was found in a barrel there on May 1, 2022, and the remains in that case have still not been identified. Investigators believe the man may have been killed over 50 years ago. Since then, law enforcement officials have encouraged people to report missing family members as soon as possible, both to shed light on this case and to ensure their missing loved ones are found or identified.
Shortly after the first body was found, a second set of human remains was discovered a week later, on May 7. In that instance, two paddleboarders found the remains of Thomas Erndt, a 42-year-old Las Vegas resident who went missing at the lake in 2002. Then, on July 25 of that same year, the partial remains of 52-year-old Las Vegas resident Claude Russell Pensinger were found and eventually identified. Pensinger had disappeared on July 14, 1998.
The area seems to be plagued by these devastating mysteries, as a human bone was discovered near Callville Bay on October 17, 2022. It wasn’t until March 28, 2023, that Clark County officials identified the skeletal remains as those of Donald Smith, a resident of North Las Vegas, who drowned in the area about 49 years prior.
To be clear, it does not appear as though the bodies in Lake Mead and the human remains found in Spotlight are related. Instead, we’re using these examples to explain how Las Vegas has seen a spike in unfortunate discoveries in recent years.
This is a developing story. Updates will be provided once they become available.
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