UPDATE MARCH 12: Las Vegas police have arrested a man in connection with the death of a man whose body was found in a drainage tunnel in January.
During the course of this investigation, detectives identified 23-year-old Damon Echols as the suspect in this incident. On March 9, Echols was taken into custody by the Criminal Apprehension Team and transported to the Clark County Detention Center where he faces one count of open murder.
According to the declaration of warrant for Echols, the man killed had been dead for weeks before police were contacted.
A woman told police that she had been living in the drainage tunnel with Echols and the man killed, identified as Arthur "Jack" Crumb. Around 8 a.m. Dec. 7, the woman said Echols told her that he had beaten Crumb with his hands and a rebar pipe in the tunnel and he stopped when he felt that Crumb was almost dead.
About an hour later, the woman and Echols returned to the drainage tunnel and found Crumb leaning against the wall of the tunnel with a head injury and his arm almost off his body. The evening of Dec. 7, the woman could hear Crumb struggling to breathe before he went silent. She eventually discovered he was deceased.
The woman told police Echols lived in the tunnel for four more days after Crumb's death before fleeing to California.
On Jan. 1, a transient reported to police there may be a deceased male in the drainage tunnel. Police found the man and an autopsy later determined that he died of homicide. Crumb had injuries including broken ribs, arm and knee, a lacerated kidney and a head injury.
ORIGINAL STORY
Las Vegas police are investigating the death of a man found in a drainage tunnel earlier this week after his autopsy found he had several broken bones, a head injury and internal bleeding.
According to police, officers were dispatched to a tunnel west of Lake Mead Boulevard and Tenaya Way around 8:40 a.m. Monday after a deceased man was found. When officers arrived, they located a decomposed body under a blanket at an encampment. During the initial investigation, nothing appeared to be suspicious.
On Tuesday, Las Vegas police's Homicide Section received information from the Clark County Coroner’s Office about the victim's injuries that resulted in his death.
The identity of the deceased victim, as well as the cause and manner of death, will be released by the Clark County Coroner’s Office.
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. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555.
