The Metropolitan Police Department and FBI held a joint press conference Thursday morning to release additional information about the homicide investigation into the body of a young boy found last week in Mountain Springs.
The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the boy. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.
Police also released a new digitally-enhanced image of the boy, who they say is between 8-10 years old, 4-feet 11-inches tall and weighs 123 lbs.
The investigation began Friday morning, when hikers found the boy’s body near the Mountain Springs Trailhead off of state Route 160 between Las Vegas and Pahrump, police have said. Detectives initially believed there was a break in the case when the following day, a mother told investigators that she believed the boy was her 8-year-old son.
But hours later, the 8-year-old boy and his 11-year-old half-brother were found safe, camping with their father in central Utah without cell service.
While Saturday’s search turned out to be a case of mistaken identity, police have also received hundreds of tips. Metro homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said Tuesday that investigators had ruled out missing child tips from Nebraska, California, Montana, Maryland, Iowa and Arizona.
“We are open to anything,” Spencer said on Tuesday. “However, at this point we are still trying to focus our investigation on any children that live or reside in Clark County or Nye County.”
When police found the boy’s body on Friday morning, it was clear he was a homicide victim, Spencer has said. His body was placed near the highway, by a nondescript gravel turnoff leading to unmarked hiking trails, within about 12 hours of him being found, police have said.
The boy is believed to be Hispanic, about 8 to 12 years old, 4 feet 11 inches tall and 123 pounds. On Sunday, police released a “digitally enhanced picture” of the boy. Police said that due to the location of the body, the boy may have lived in Las Vegas, Pahrump, Baker, Calif., or other nearby cities.
Police have urged anyone with information about the boy’s death to contact Metro’s homicide section at 702-828-3521, or at homicide@lvmpd.com. The department has set up an additional 24-hour tip line at 702-828-2907. Anonymous tips can be left with Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.
