EXCLUSIVE DETAILS: Mystery Grows After Dozens of Piles of Cremated Human Remains Found Outside Las Vegas
Authorities are investigating how piles of cremated human remains ended up in the desert outside of Las Vegas.
Aug. 27 2025, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Authorities have a ghoulish mystery on their hands after dozens of piles of cremated human remains were found in the desert near Las Vegas, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Bureau of Land Management confirmed the morbid discovery of pulverized bones and ashes after a horrified passerby came across the grim scene along a dirt road near the town of Searchlight, and turned over the eerie photos to a local TV news station.
The BLM confirmed that an investigation is underway, a representative told RadarOnline.com on Wednesday, August 27, stating, "Yes, we are looking into the issue."
Gruesome Find Details
A passerby came upon the cremated human remains, and and reported the discovery to a Las Vegas TV station.
The Las Vegas CBS affiliate, KLAS TV, was the first to share the photos, showing some of the human remains in individual light gray piles, while more ashes were scattered together.
The person who reported the finding estimated there were around 70 piles on the desert floor near the rural community, where U.S. Highway 95 runs through the town of Searchlight, about 50 miles south of Las Vegas.
A Ghastly Scene
Cremated human remains were found in the desert outside Searchlight, Nevada.
While BLM policy allows for “individual, non-commercial scattering of cremated remains” on public lands, “commercial distribution of cremated remains" is strictly prohibited.
It's unclear at this time how the piles ended up in the middle of the desert and who may have left them there.
A Stubborn Issue
The piles of cremated human remains were found outside Searchlight, Nevada.
There are no dedicated funeral homes located within Searchlight where the remains could have been cremated. The tiny town had a population of 329 residents as of 2023.
According to In The Light Urns, "Not all ashes from people who have been cremated are claimed. There are a number of reasons behind unclaimed cremated remains, and it's an issue that occurs all over the world.
"Funeral directors generally try to reunite forgotten ashes at funeral homes with family members of the deceased, but that's not always possible."
The site cited an article by Verywell Health, noting that approximately 1 percent of all cremations in the U.S. result in unclaimed ashes. With the rate of cremation being at 53 percent of deaths in the U.S. annually, that would equate to 15,000 cremated remains heartbreakingly going uncollected.
Grim 2023 Funeral Home Discovery
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