LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Officials in Nevada hope the public can help to identify the child who was found dead last Friday in Las Vegas, near the Mountain Springs area, with the recent release of a digitally enhanced picture.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided a photo of the victim to the police.
“We are asking teachers, in particular, to pay close attention to this new digitally enhanced picture. Detectives believe the victim is between the ages of 8 and 12, he is 4’11” and weighs 123 pounds,” the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department noted in a news release.
Police believe the child may have lived in Las Vegas, Pahrump, Baker or another nearby city.
The investigation of the boy’s identity continues after police followed tips and leads on Saturday that resulted in a misidentification.
The child’s body was found by a group of hikers on a trail in the Mountain Springs area, off SR 160, around 7:30 a.m. on May 28.
After scouring Southern Nevada databases, Metro Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said Friday that no local missing children match his description.
Officers said he is clearly the victim of a homicide but have not released any information about the boy’s injuries or how he died.
Anyone with any information about this incident is urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section by phone at (702) 828-3521, or by email at homicide@lvmpd.com. Or they can call the 24-hour tip line by calling (702) 828-3521 or (702) 828-2907. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at (702) 385-5555, or on the website.