Work crew finds burning body

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Tuesday, April 8, 2003 | 9:47 a.m.

A badly burned body was found by a Transportation Department work crew Monday afternoon in the Sunrise Mountain area off Lake Mead Boulevard.

The work crew was driving down Lake Mead Boulevard about 2:10 p.m. when they saw smoke coming from behind a foothill and thought it might be a brush fire, Metro Homicide Lt. Tom Monahan said.

After putting out the fire with shovels and fire extinguishers, they discovered a charred adult body that had apparently been set on fire, Monahan said.

"It's charred beyond recognizable condition," Monahan said.

Authorities at the scene could not determine the victim's gender or whether or not the body had suffered gunshot wounds or any other trauma. The Clark County coroner's office was expected to conduct an autopsy today.

Investigators will be checking missing persons records to help identify the victim, Monahan said.