LAS VEGAS, Nevada (FOX5) – More than two years after washing up on Lake Mead, the identity of a decades-old murder victim discovered in a barrel is still unclear.

The Clark County Coroner confirmed Thursday that there were clues in the case.

As the lake’s water level dropped, a rotting barrel washed ashore in May 2022. Inside that barrel was a man who investigators believe was shot in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

For the past two years, the coroner and other investigators have worked to determine the man’s identity and provide closure to a family that is likely still searching for answers.

In November 2023, Clark County released renderings of what the man’s face might have looked like during his lifetime.

Then, in June 2024, they uploaded photos of items belonging to this man in a Missing persons database.

“We thought it would be helpful in this case to put the clothing away and hope that maybe someone would recognize it,” said Melanie Rouse, Clark County coroner.

So far, no one has recognized her, she says, but they will continue to follow up on other leads after people come forward.

“It’s really difficult to say exactly what prompted these people to come forward, and I don’t want to say on their behalf what prompted them to contact us,” Rouse says.

When someone comes forward, they look for matches between what the person said and the unidentified victim said. For example, they ask when and where the person was last seen alive, what they were wearing, and if there are any physical descriptions such as scars, marks or tattoos.

“We will follow up on any possible leads that could point to this person because we want him or her to be identified,” she says.

Rouse was unable to comment further on the information available because the case is ongoing.

Next, she says, they will ask her genealogy experts to re-examine the man’s DNA to see if any relatives can be found in any databases.

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