Death of man, 71, found near Lake Mead ruled homicide
The Clark County coroner’s office said Thursday that the death of a 71-year-old man, whose body was found under suspicious circumstances in an open desert last week, was a homicide.
The body of Thomas Burchard, 71, was found by was found by officers about 10:50 a.m. March 7 in the desert area near East Lake Mead Boulevard, about 7 miles east of Los Feliz Street, near the entrance to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Burchard died from blunt force injury of the head, and his death was ruled a homicide, the coroner’s office said.
Metro homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said Thursday afternoon that no one has been arrested in the man’s death. Burchard was from Salinas, California, the coroner’s office said.
The man’s body was found in the trunk of a vehicle, and he had died March 7, the coroner’s office said Thursday afternoon.
A man driving through the remote area with his kids noticed a vehicle that had a rock thrown through one of its windows parked along East Lake Mead Boulevard. The body was found when officers arrived at the scene, Metro spokeswoman Laura Meltzer has said.
His death is still under investigation, Spencer said.
A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the body.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter. Contact Jessica Terrones at jte
