The identity of a Las Vegas body found in a barrel in Lake Mead will be announced today following a frenzy of speculation tying the homicide to a famous mobster.
Decomposed human body remains were stuffed inside a corroded metal barrel and were discovered buried in the mud at Hemenway Harbor, Lake Mead in May 2022.
As water levels receded during an historic drought, the body was uncovered by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
According to Melanie Rouse, Clark County Coroner, the remains were a man who was killed by a gunshot to the head before he was squeezed into the metal drum. His estimated age was 40 to 50 years old.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County Coroner’s office are expected to hold a news conference revealing the person’s identity at 3pm PDT.
Authorities have reported that the specific homicide method has been famously associated with Mob affiliated groups who dispose of their victims’ bodies
‘The minute you hear ‘body in the barrel,’ your mind instantly goes to, ‘Wow, I wonder if this is connected to any type of organized crime or mob?’ The fact of the matter is, we’re not gonna know until the day that the remains are identified,’ Lieutenant Jason Johansson of Las Vegas Metro Police Department told ABC News
Since then, speculation about the body’s identity have circulated for four years as officials continued their investigation.
The identity of a Las Vegas body found in a barrel in Lake Mead will be announced today following frenzied speculations tying the homicide to a famous mobster
Decomposed human body remains were stuffed inside a corroded metal barrel and was discovered buried in the mud at Hemenway Harbor, Lake Mead in May 2022
Investigators also speculated if the homicide could be connected to Tony Spilotro, a notorious hitman for the Chicago Mafia in Las Vegas
As water levels receded during a historic drought, the body was uncovered by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Pictured: Lake View Point, Lake Mead, Arizona, 1970
Critics have also questioned if the homicide victim was a prominent mobster figure after clothing was found in the barrel.
Investigators described the oil drum containing a watch, Kmart brand clothing, and sneakers. These items helped confirm the time period of the murder to range from 1975 to 1985.
Theories about his identity have been narrowed down to three main mob figures, Jonny Pappas, George ‘Jay’ Vandermark or William Crespo.
Pappas, also known as Yiannis Panagiotakos, was a Greek‑American who managed the Stardust hotel and other Las Vegas casinos.
According to ABC News reports, during the mid-70s Pappas was running Echo Bay Marina, a popular Lake Mead location associated with organized crime.
Vandermark was a slot machine worker at the Stardust who vanished in 1976 while being pursued by the Chicago Outfit crime family.
Crespo was a cocaine smuggler who later turned into a state witness and testified against a multimillion-dollar drug ring. All three are missing.
Investigators also speculated if the homicide could be connected to Tony Spilotro, a notorious hitman for the Chicago Mafia in Las Vegas.
George Jay Vandermark, a slot machine worker at the Stardust, vanished in 1976 while being pursued by the Chicago Outfit crime family. Pictured: FBI Missing Person bulletin Vandermark
Pappas, also known as Yiannis Panagiotakos, was a Greek‑American who managed the Stardust hotel and other Las Vegas casinos. Pictured: The Stardust casino seen on the far right in 1990
‘Spilotro was an enforcer and a murderer. And if they wanted somebody killed or murdered, he was the guy,’ Detective Deborah Richard, a retired Las Vegas FBI agent, told ABC News
Similar remains were found in 1976 when mobster Johnny Roselli was found in a barrel in Dumfoundling Bay, Florida. The incident occurred after he testified to the Senate that he was involved in CIA plots to kill Fidel Castro.
The Daily Mail has reached out for comment from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County Coroner’s office for comments.
