Mystery as more than 300 piles of human remains discovered in the desert outside Las Vegas
More than 300 piles of cremated human remains were found scattered across the Nevada desert.
The mysterious find was discovered on July 28 when a man came across the shocking sight near the remote town of Searchlight, about an hour outside Las Vegas.
A rescue crew from Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries arrived on scene Wednesday to remove the piles.
They found approximately 315 sets of ashes and placed each in separate containers.
The decision to remove the mounds came after the Bureau of Land Management launched an initial investigation in August that confirmed the mounds were human. Now 8 News reported.
However, no traceable information was recovered from the ‘creams’, the term used by an official at the Bureau of Land Management to refer to the piles.
Authorities believe a funeral home covered the desert with ashes but have not released details of any businesses suspected of being involved.
Dispersing human remains on public land is allowed in Nevada, but bulk commercial waste dumping by funeral homes is illegal under state law.
Businesses are required to ‘protect’ the dignity of the remains entrusted to them.
On July 28, 315 piles of cremated human remains were found near the remote town of Searchlight, about an hour outside Las Vegas.
No traceable information was recovered from the ‘creams’, the term used by a Bureau of Land Management official to refer to the piles.
“I think it’s important for us to make sure these people aren’t forgotten and abandoned,” said Celena DiLullo, president of Palm Morgues and Cemeteries.
Hundreds of remains will be placed in a crypt at one of the Palm cemeteries so loved ones looking for them can find them, Dilullo said.
‘I don’t know if coming out is what these people want, so that’s what’s on my mind. “If they don’t want to be remembered that way, we just want to have a place where they can be,” he added.
The piles no longer contain any identifiable information, which can make it nearly impossible for families to discern whether their loved ones’ remains have been exposed.
DiLullo said it’s important for his community and his profession to show that they truly care about the remains found.
Various sources claimed that a recently closed funeral home was responsible for the discarded ashes.
Celena DiLullo, president of Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries, helped recover the piles of remains and will place them in a crypt at one of the Palm cemeteries
However, a representative of the unnamed business has repeatedly denied any involvement in the incident.
When the piles were first discovered, officials initially believed there were about 70 piles, but parts of another mound were later found.
Another horrific incident involving hundreds of deaths occurred in Juarez, Mexico, when nearly 400 bodies were found in a suspected secret crematorium.
