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Federal investigators are reportedly searching for answers after more than 300 piles of cremated human remains were discovered in the desert near Las Vegas.
The discovery was first reported after a local man stumbled upon the remains in July outside Searchlight, Nevada, nearly an hour south of Vegas, KLAS reported.
By August, officials from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had confirmed that the piles were human.
The remains, pulverized bone fragments known as “cremains,” were said to have been found spread across a desolate stretch of land on the outskirts of the city.
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Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries carefully removed approximately 315 piles of the cremains from the desert site in Nevada. (Google Maps)
On Wednesday, crews from Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries removed approximately 315 piles of the cremains from the site, KLAS reported.
Celena DiLullo, president of Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries, explained how the remains would be transferred to a cemetery crypt.
“I think it’s important to us to make sure that these people are not forgotten and not left,” DiLullo told the news station. “It’s important to our community and our profession that we demonstrate how much we care about these people.”
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A local resident from Searchlight, Nev., reportedly stumbled upon the remains. (Dalton Bennett/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
While the BLM and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reportedly continue to investigate, the origins of the remains aren’t clear.
Early reports suggested that the ashes may have been dumped by a commercial funeral home business.
Under Nevada law, people are allowed to scatter ashes on public land, and there is no prohibition against the scattering of cremated remains in general. However, BLM regulations forbid the commercial distribution of cremated remains on federal land.
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Under Nevada law, people can scatter ashes on public land, but Bureau of Land Management rules forbid the commercial distribution of cremated remains on federal land. (Jungho Kim for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The desert area where the remains were found lies on BLM-managed land.
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As of now, authorities have reportedly not identified any suspects or confirmed whether the remains were connected to a specific mortuary business.
Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries, BLM and LVMPD did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.
