LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas police believe that the man whose remains were found in a barrel in November was killed for cooperating with detectives, according to an arrest report.
Though the man accused of killing 39-year-old Rene Enriquez Jr. was arrested on Nov. 29, the arrest report indicates that Enriquez was killed almost a month prior, on Nov. 5.
LVMPD's Homicide Section became involved in the case on Nov. 9 after preliminary investigations determined that Enriquez, who was previously thought to be missing, may have been killed. Witnesses close to Enriquez revealed to detectives that many in Enriquez's "friend group" believe he had been cooperating with police after his house was raided on Oct. 20, 2022.
However, a spokesperson with LVMPD confirmed that Enriquez never cooperated during the raid.
While 115 grams of methamphetamine, 18.6 grams of heroin and 50.2 grams of fentanyl were seized from Enriquez's house, a spokesperson with LVMPD confirmed that Enriquez never cooperated with the federal law enforcement serving the search warrant, or the LVMPD Narcotics Unit that was assisting.
The report says that police released Enriquez to medical personnel without arresting him after it was determined that Enriquez was "heavily under the influence of drugs." However, witnesses told detectives that Enriquez's friend group believed he "snitched" and provided detectives with information in exchange for not being charged.
Enriquez's girlfriend would later tell police that a member of the friend group — 43-year-old Ryan Bentley — offered Enriquez a "care package" to supplement his drug supply after the police raid. According to the arrest report, numerous friends and family members say that they never saw or spoke to Enriquez again after he left to receive the "package" on Oct. 27.
In the early morning hours of Oct. 28, LVMPD Dispatch received several reports of gunshots near Bentley's residence. Witnesses in the area reported seeing Bentley leap over a fence into a neighbor's yard and hide a laptop in a bush before fleeing the scene. Police made contact with Bentley and arrested him for possessing narcotics when he returned to the scene to retrieve the laptop.
Hours later, Bentley was released from Clark County Detention Center. After his release, Enriquez's vehicle was towed after being sold to Cars for Cash, though friends of Enriquez say it was unclear who sold it.
Detectives learned on Nov. 5 from a witness who claimed to have met with Bentley after his release that the "care package" for Enriquez was actually a trap. Bentley had lured Enriquez to his house with the promise of drugs, then confronted him with two other men, according to the arrest report.
Enriquez was "given an ultimatum" by the group of either "intentionally killing himself by overdosing on Fentanyl or be killed," the arrest report read.
Police say Enriquez chose to kill himself by snorting several lines of fentanyl and passing out.
Hours later, Enriquez woke up and attempted to flee the residence, "banging on the garage door" and crying out for help, according to investigators. The report indicates that Bentley shot and killed Enriquez before he could escape.
After being released from CCDC, police say that Bentley returned to his residence and dismembered Enriquez's body and placed the pieces into a 55-gallon drum. Evidence also indicates that Bentley rented a piece of equipment to "assist in lifting the drum into the back of his friend's vehicle," the report read.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for Bentley's Facebook messages, where he messaged multiple individuals asking for "help" with an undisclosed incident and asking if anyone had lye. In one message, Bentley said, "Bro the [expletive] me and her had to do compared with cartel videos."
He had also messaged another individual, saying, "I was in a real situation I still can't talk about and all I needed was a few gallons of hot water... Coulda [sic] been the difference between life in prison or not... I just needed hot water to activate the lye."
On Nov. 29, LVMPD received a phone call from an employee at Logistics Solutions, who was contracted with Clark County Public Works, about a discarded barrel in the area of East Quail Avenue and Palm Street. Arriving officers opened the barrel "and immediately recognized the smell of decomposition," the report read.
Hours later, the Clark County Coroner's office arrived and confirmed that the remains in the barrel appeared consistent with the remains of a decomposed human.
Ryan Bentley was contacted and arrested by Las Vegas police without incident on Nov. 29, 2022. He was booked into CCDC on charges of Open Murder.
A second suspect in Enriquez's murder —30-year-old Angelica Hudson — was also arrested on Dec. 7, 2022 for Open Murder.
