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UNLV anthropology professor weighs in on Lake Mead remains

Posted at 5:56 PM, May 05, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-30 18:47:54-04

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The case remains, who was found in a barrel at Lake Mead?

Investigators have been asking about the body for a week, trying to come up with clues.

THE BARREL: LVMPD says barrel dumped in Lake Mead containing remains was from 1980s

Multiple agencies have been assisting, and a UNLV Assistant Anthropology Professor Dr. Jennifer Byrnes may be consulted on this case.

Although Byrnes has been clear, she does not know any details outside of what the general public knows, she explains that in cases like this, it could be a long wait before there are results.

"The remains were found in a barrel at Lake Mead," said Byrnes. "A discovery that is unusual."

FULL COVERAGE ON LAKE MEAD: Decades-old barrel with human remains washes up on shore of Lake Mead

Byrnes explains that many involved in the anthropology field get into it because of what they see depicted in shows like CSI or Bones. In reality, investigations can take weeks, even up to years in other cases.

If investigators call on the UNLV team to assist they may be asked to help with identifying things such as the age, assigned sex at birth, ancestry, and stature of bones. In this particular case, Byrnes says in a worst case scenario, forensic pathologists will need the help of anthropologists to help determine who the remains belong to.