Gun found in Lake Mead fuels speculation about found remains

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas authorities say it’s unclear if a gun found in drought-stricken Lake Mead is related to human remains found in a barrel months earlier.

Las Vegas police said in a statement Thursday that it is too soon to tell whether the firearm is tied to remains discovered in May. They say it’s not uncommon for firearms to turn up in the lake.

A resident came across a gun Wednesday near Hemenway Harbor. That’s the same area where remains of a man who died from a gunshot wound were.

Investigators say the body was likely dumped in the mid-1970s to early 1980s.

There have been four other instances since then of remains or partial remains found in Lake Mead. Police have speculated that more will be discovered as the water level at Lake Mead continues to recede.

The discoveries have prompted speculation about long-unsolved missing person and murder cases dating back decades — to organized crime and the early days of Las Vegas, which is just a 30-minute drive from the lake.

The lake surface has dropped more than 170 feet (52 meters) since the reservoir was full in 1983.