LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A public works contractor inspecting an abandoned barrel for hazardous materials found a floating torso and bleach, leading to a Las Vegas man’s arrest for murder, documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained Thursday revealed.
Las Vegas Metro police arrested Ryan Bentley, 43, on Tuesday on one charge of open murder. Investigators suspect Bentley killed the victim at a home near Washington Avenue and Jones Boulevard in late October.
Police suspect Bentley and another person dismembered the victim’s body and then bought a 55-gallon barrel to conceal the remains, documents said.
On Tuesday, Nov. 29, a person notified Clark County Public Works about an abandoned barrel near Quail Avenue and Palm Street. A public works contractor removed the barrel from the area and then opened it, finding suspected human remains and bleach inside.
Inside the barrel, investigators said they found a torso missing its arms and head.
The coroner’s office was working to positively identify the remains and rule on the victim’s cause and manner of death. Investigators have a suspicion of who the person is, but 8 News Now is not naming that person to protect the integrity of the investigation.