LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In May 2022, the waters of Lake Mead gave up a secret that has puzzled investigators for years — until now.
The homicide victim found inside a barrel that washed ashore at Hemenway Harbor is expected to be publicly identified Thursday during a press conference that includes the Clark County Coroner's Office, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and forensic investigators.
The discovery came as drought caused receding waters at Lake Mead to reveal several long-held secrets, including at least four sets of human remains. But the identity of the man in the barrel has remained a mystery.
Investigators have released several clues in the years since, including photos of the man's clothing.
Here's a look back at how the case has unfolded in the four years since.
May 1, 2022 — National Park Service rangers report the discovery of a body in a barrel at Lake Mead's Hemenway Harbor.
May 2, 2022 — After an initial autopsy, Las Vegas police say they believe the man was likely murdered in the mid-1970s to early 1980s. Thirty to 40 years earlier, police said, the water where the barrel was dropped would have been 50 to 60 feet deep.
Former LVMPD Lt. Ray Spencer shared updates on the investigation in May 2022:
May 3, 2022 — Police reveal that the man died from a gunshot wound, and that his death was likely a homicide.
June 2022 — The unsolved case prompts speculation about possible mob connections. Former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman — who represented many Las Vegas mobsters as a criminal defense attorney — was asked about the case and remarked: “We have no idea who's in the barrel at this point in time, and even if I knew who was in [there], I would not tell the good folks of Channel 13, because they’ll end up in a barrel.” The FBI also reveals it is assisting local law enforcement with the investigation.
 FBI |  FBI |
November 2023 — Composite images of the man found in the barrel, created by FBI investigators, are made public as investigators seek additional leads.
June 2024 — As the investigation continues, photos of the man's clothing are posted on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons website. The pictures include a short-sleeved, button-down shirt, a pair of sneakers believed to have been sold at Kmart in the 1970s to 1990s, and a pair of pants that appear to be made of denim or a light-blue fabric.
 The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System |  The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System |
The case was the first of at least four bodies found at Lake Mead in the summer and early fall of 2022.
May 7, 2022 — Paddleboarders discover skeletal remains in the Callville Bay area. The remains were since identified as 42-year-old Thomas Erndt, of Las Vegas, who reportedly drowned at Lake Mead 20 years earlier.
July 25, August 6 and August 16, 2022 — Lake Mead visitors find human remains in the same general area, near the shoreline of Boulder Beach. Medical examiners determined the remains all belonged to the same person, since identified as Claude Russell Pensinger, of Las Vegas. Officials say Pensinger was 52 at the time of his disappearance on July 14, 1998. The cause of his death was undetermined.
October 17, 2022 — Additional skeletal remains are discovered near Callville Bay. More remains found on October 19, 2022 are identified as belonging to the same person: 39-year-old Donald P. Smith, of North Las Vegas, who reportedly drowned at the lake in April 1974.
Channel 13 will carry a live feed of Thursday's 3 p.m. press conference to identify the body found on May 1, 2022. You can watch it here.