New developments provided in Lake Mead human remain cases
Las Vegas (KSNV) — New developments have been provided by Clark County in the four sets of human remains found at Lake Mead back in 2022.
On Tuesday, the county sent out a detailed update, identifying two sets of remains found from May through October of 2022.
The first set was discovered inside a barrel along Hemenway Harbor on May 1. The decedent has been identified as a male who died as a result of a gunshot wound. His death is ruled a homicide, although the county has yet to be able to positively identify him.
The second came on May 7 when remains were discovered in the Callville Bay area. The decedent was identified as Thomas Erndt of Las Vegas, who was 42 years old at the time of his reported drowning on August 2, 2002.
The cause and manner of death for Erndt are still pending.
On August 16, park visitors found more remains near the shoreline of Boulder Beach. Additional remains were found on July 25 and August 6 in the same area and were determined to belong to the same decedent. That person has yet to be identified as of Tuesday.
The latest set of remains was found on October 17 and more on October 19 by contractors working near the marina. Both sets were determined to have belonged to the same person, who was identified as Donald Smith of North Las Vegas.
Smith was found to be 39 years old at the time of his reported drowning in April 1974. His cause and manner of death were determined to be downing and accidental.
This was the first time Smith had been identified as Erndt was first name back in August.
The county says they were able to make the identifications based on DNA analysis and reports from the original incident.
