LATEST: Police are trying to track down whoever killed a valley woman and dumped her body near Lake Mead. Authorities identified the victim as 61-year-old Kathleen Ploutz. Her body was found Monday morning nearly 40 miles out of town. The mystery murder has left police scouring for clues.
Ploutz lived in an apartment near Twain and Paradise for two weeks before she was killed.
The property managers at the complex said Ploutz was very friendly and always smiling.
"Very friendly," said Marlon Cristi. "She wanted to know everybody in the neighborhood so they can get along. We never seen her with anybody. She just comes up here, throws the garbage out, does laundry, that's it."
He's wondering why someone would murder and potentially dump Ploutz's body.
"We're very sad about it and it was very surprising to us to hear something like that, just died like that, especially murder."
Authorities still don't know, or won't say, where the murder actually happened. But we know Ploutz's injuries were consistent with stabbing.
UPDATE: The Clark County coroner has identified the deceased as 61-year-old Kathleen Mary Ploutz from Las Vegas. Her cause of death was multiple stab and incise wounds/homicide.
Las Vegas police are asking anyone who knew about the whereabouts of Ploutz during the days leading up to the discovery of her body on July 18 to contact homicide detectives by calling 702-828-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
ORIGINAL STORY
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- On July 18 at 8 a.m. National Park Service Rangers were dispatched to the desert area near the Special Events Beach at Boulder Basin in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area for reports of a possible deceased female.
The Rangers arrived and located a deceased female who appeared to have obvious signs of trauma to her body.
The LVMPD Homicide Section was requested by the National Park Service to assist in the investigation.
The investigation by the LVMPD Homicide Section indicated the deceased woman had injuries that appeared to be consistent with being the victim of a homicide.
The motive behind the homicide remains unknown; however, this appears to be an isolated incident.
This is the 97th homicide investigated by the LVMPD in 2016. The Clark County coroner's office identified her on Wednesday as 61-year-old Kathleen Mary Ploutz and ruled her cause of death as a stabbing.
This investigation remains ongoing and anyone with any information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555.
