BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. — On Nov. 23, 1976, hikers in the elevated desert area approximately 6 miles east of Katherine’s Landing of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area located human remains in a shallow grave.
A composite of a 1976 shooting victim’s probable likeness, later identified as Luis Alonso Paredes, was developed by the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, date unspecified | Image by Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
According to a media release by the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, the victim was determined to be an adult male, 5 feet 8 inches tall and approximately 140-150 pounds, 30-35 years of age.
During the initial investigation, it was determined the victim was shot in the head at close range. Fingerprints were obtained during the autopsy but unfortunately, detectives were unable to identify the victim at the time.
Although a composite of the victim’s probable likeness was developed by the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, he remained unidentified for almost five decades with no investigative leads.
In Oct. 2023, investigators with the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Investigations Unit began a review of the case. The digital images of the victim’s fingerprints obtained in 1976 were compared to all available national fingerprint records, which was not an available resource at the time of the initial investigation.
The victim was positively identified as Luis Alonso Paredes, originally from El Salvador. Detectives learned of the possibility that Paredes may have been living or working in the Las Vegas area at the time of his death.
The Lake View Trail, a 4.7-mile roundtrip excursion, offers views of waterfowl at Katherine’s Landing at Lake Mohave, Arizona, date unspecified | Photo by National Park Service, St. George News
Investigators also learned of possible employment with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy in the San Francisco Bay area nearly a decade before his homicide. To this point, Investigators have been unable to locate any relatives of Paredes.
Anyone with information regarding this case, or information that would assist investigators in locating Paredes’ family, are encouraged to contact the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division at 928-753-0753 ext. 4288 and reference case DR# 76-5053.
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