A 50-year-old mystery has been solved following the discovery of a body on the shore of Lake Mead.
The human remains, which were found in October 2022, have been confirmed as belonging to a Las Vegas man called Donald P. Smith who drowned in 1974, AP reported.
The 39 year old was declared missing in the waters of Lake Mead—which is a Colorado River reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam, on the border between Nevada and Arizona. When his remains were first discovered it was not clear who they belonged to but an identification was made possible through DNA analysis.
Smith's death has been ruled accidental.
Smith's are not the only human remains found on the lake's shores.
Lake Mead's water levels are falling because of the drought gripping the western U.S. It is currently only at 30 percent of its full capacity and its receding waters are revealing a multitude of gruesome finds.
At least six skeletons have been retrieved from the lake in the past year and there could be many more waiting to be found.
Authorities are still working to determine the identities of other remains that have been discovered. These include those of a man that were found concealed within a barrel in May 2022 who died by gunshot. It is believed the person died in the mid to late 1970s, which is the time when the shoes found with the body were manufactured.
While this death remains a mystery, in August 2022 the remains were being tested for the DNA of a man that went missing 45 years ago.
The sister of the missing man, Barbara Brock, told Fox5 at the time that she believed the remains were those of her brother, who had been part of the Mafia. The criminal organization was present in Nevada—mainly in Las Vegas—until the late 1970s, and used casinos and resorts for money laundering purposes.
Las Vegas Police were already aware that the remains are probably those of a murder victim, and that the death was likely mob related.
As Lake Mead's waters continue to recede, it is not just bodies that have been found.
In July, scuba diver and treasure hunter Dallas Rowley discovered a long-lost boat while exploring the lake's shores. Inside were eating utensils, telephones and plaques. He took footage of the discovery and posted it to his YouTube channel.
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Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
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