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UNLV anthropology professor weighs in on Lake Mead remains

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LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The case remains, who was found in a barrel at Lake Mead?

Investigators have been asking about the body for a week, trying to come up with clues.

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Multiple agencies have been assisting, and a UNLV Assistant Anthropology Professor Dr. Jennifer Byrnes may be consulted on this case.

Although Byrnes has been clear, she does not know any details outside of what the general public knows, she explains that in cases like this, it could be a long wait before there are results.

"The remains were found in a barrel at Lake Mead," said Byrnes. "A discovery that is unusual."

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Byrnes explains that many involved in the anthropology field get into it because of what they see depicted in shows like CSI or Bones. In reality, investigations can take weeks, even up to years in other cases.

If investigators call on the UNLV team to assist they may be asked to help with identifying things such as the age, assigned sex at birth, ancestry, and stature of bones. In this particular case, Byrnes says in a worst case scenario, forensic pathologists will need the help of anthropologists to help determine who the remains belong to.