Authorities in Nevada have launched an investigation after hundreds of piles of human ashes were discovered scattered across a remote desert area outside Las Vegas.
The unsettling find was first reported by a man who noticed roughly 70 suspicious piles along a dirt track near the small town of Searchlight, Nevada. When authorities arrived to investigate, tests confirmed the substance was cremated human remains.
A wider search of the area led to the discovery of a second site nearby, bringing the total number of ash piles recovered to 315, News4 reports. Investigators now believe the remains may have been dumped by a funeral home or cremation business operating in the region.
While Nevada law allows individuals to scatter ashes on public land, U.S. federal law prohibits commercial entities from disposing of cremated remains on federal land without permission. The desert area where the ashes were found is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, which oversees public lands across the western United States.
“It’s just such a shame,” said Celena DiLullo, president of Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries, in an interview with 8 News Now. “I don’t know if it was the wishes of these people to be out there. That’s what goes through my mind, whether this is how they wanted to be remembered.”
Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries volunteered to assist authorities with the recovery effort, ensuring the remains were handled with dignity. By Wednesday, staff had collected and transferred the 315 piles of ashes from the desert to a crypt at one of their cemeteries.
“I think it’s important to us to make sure that these people are not forgotten and not left,” DiLullo said. “It’s important to our community and our profession to show how much we care about these people.”
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine who is responsible for the illegal dumping.