The boy was discovered around 7:45a (10:45a ET) Friday, May 28, 2021, lying in a forested area of Mountain Springs Trailhead near mile marker 20 on State Route 160, according to Las Vegas police. The area is about 25 miles southwest of downtown Las Vegas. Medical personnel who responded to the call pronounced him dead at the scene, police said. "Detectives believe the victim is between the ages of 8 and 12, he is 4'11'' and weighs 123 pounds. Due to the location of the body, the victim may have lived in Las Vegas, Pahrump, Baker or other nearby cities," the department said. Authorities are not releasing information about injuries to the body, Spencer said.
The boy's cause and manner of death will be released by the Clark County coroner's office. The homicide section of Las Vegas police can be reached at 702-828-3521. Tipsters who want to stay anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or go to crimestoppersofnv.com.
A woman earlier mistakenly identified the boy as her 8-year-old son, contacting police after an initial sketch was released by police and positively identifying him after seeing photos of his body, according to LVMPD Lt. Raymond Spencer. Saturday morning, May 29, 2021, after police held a news conference about the discovery of the body, officers received information that the boy who was thought to be dead was actually camping with his father and 11-year-old brother "in an area of central Utah that was outside of cellphone reception," a statement from the LVMPD said.
Officers confirmed the boys and their father were safe, the statement said.
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Personal Characteristics
Male
7 years old
Height: 4'11"
Weight: 123 lbs.
Hair: Black
Race: HISPANIC OR LATINO
Level of Education: SECONDARY STUDENT
Investigative Overview
Foul Play Suspected: Yes
Suspected Suicide: No
Cause of Death: Murder - Asphyxiation (deprived of oxygen)
Significant Dates
Reported missing on May 26, 2021 - 859 days, 21 hours, 31 minutes ago
Found on May 28, 2021 - 857 days, 13 hours, 46 minutes ago
This case file was posted on
Jun 02, 2021 at 17:06
This case file was last modified on
Sep 24, 2021 at 18:38
This case file has been assigned the Missing Persons ID 4609
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Judaea Rojo
July 13, 2021 at 5:38 pm6/30/21 Update: A prosecutor reported that the mother of Liam Husted strangled her son because she got “frustrated”. More here: https://www.thedailybeast.com/samantha-moreno-rodriguez-strangled-liam-husted-because-she-was-frustrated-da-says
Judaea Rojo
July 10, 2021 at 6:42 pm6/8/21 Update: Samantha Rodriguez has been arrested after her son was found dead in Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area. More here: https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/06/08/john-little-zion-doe-las-vegas-missing-san-jose-boy-liam-husted-samantha-moreno-rodriguez/
Judaea Rojo
July 10, 2021 at 6:40 pm6/7/21 Update: John “Little Zion” Doe has been identified as Liam Husted. More here: https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/06/08/john-little-zion-doe-las-vegas-missing-san-jose-boy-liam-husted-samantha-moreno-rodriguez/
Judaea Rojo
July 10, 2021 at 6:39 pm5/28/21 Update: A new digitally enhanced photo of a deceased boy found near the Mountain Springs Trailhead, in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, has been released to the public. More here: https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/30/us/las-vegas-boy-body-photo/index.html