The shores of Lake Mead continue to recede dramatically due to drought in the western United States. What is the largest artificial reservoir in the country, about 40 kilometers from Las Vegas, is only 27% of full capacity. And the descent of the water has been revealing objects that were previously submerged in the lake, such as a World War II sunken ship and an original water inlet valve on the tank, from 1971. But that’s not all. Since May, they have already been found. five times human remains — some homicide victims.
The most recent case occurred this Monday, in the Swim Beach area. Only on this beach were found three of the five remains that have appeared on the other side of the lake in recent months: the first was found on July 25, the second on August 6. It is not yet clear if they all belong to the same body or if they are from different people.says CNN, citing a spokesman for Clark County, where this beach is located. Medical Examiner Melanie Rouse is trying to extract DNA from the remains found in an attempt to not only understand if they belong to the same body, but also try to identify the individuals.
Rock markings reveal falling water levels in Lake Mead (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
There is less doubt as to the corpse found inside an already damaged barrel, May 1st. The alert was given by a person who spent Sunday afternoon by the lake. Bullet marks found on the body led Las Vegas police to believe the person was a murder victim.
Furthermore, the victim’s clothing and shoes were so well preserved that the tags were still visible, leading to the conclusion that the person likely died in the mid-1970s or early 1980s, according to a police statement cited by CNN. “The barrel was probably dumped hundreds of feet from shore at the time, but the area where it was found is now considered shore,” Lt. Ray Spencer of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police homicide section told CNN. .
Just a week later, a second body was found. will be of a man with estimated age between 23 and 38 yearsbut a cause of death could not be determined, according to Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse.
Continuing a 22-year downward trend, water levels in Lake Mead are at their lowest since April 1937, when the reservoir was still being filled for the first time. As of July 18, 2022, Lake Mead was filled to only 27 percent of capacity. https://t.co/qwgabmDJOG pic.twitter.com/iNMbuT5zbh
— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) July 22, 2022
Authorities believe the cases of human remains found may not stop there. “The lake has dried up drastically in the last 15 years. It’s likely that as the water level goes down, we’ll find more bodies dumped into Lake Mead.Lt. Ray Spencer admitted to CNN. In late July, NASA released satellite images revealing the unprecedented drought in Lake Mead. The water levels reached “Lowest values since April 1937when the tank was still being filled for the first time”, reads the cheep NASA
Source: Observadora
