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Skull found in desert near Pahrump

Updated May 27, 2026 - 9:36 am

The Nye County Sheriff’s Office is investigating what appears to be a human skull found in the desert outside of Pahrump over the weekend.

More information about the individual’s identity and the cause of death will not be known until a DNA analysis is completed by the Clark County Coroner’s Office, which will likely take several months, Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill confirmed.

Dispatch initially received the report of a human skull being found on Sunday, May 24, at approximately 7 p.m. from hikers. Law enforcement made contact with the reporting party in the desert, near Barney Street and Nye Road in the Shadow Mountain area. Authorities then found a skull completely deteriorated from any tissue.

McGill told the Pahrump Valley Times that the sheriff’s office believes the skull could possibly belong to a person who went missing in the area a few years ago but added that there have been instances throughout the years of Native American burial sites also being found nearby.

No other remains were found at the scene, but authorities will continue to search the area. The sheriff’s office asks that anyone with further information regarding the case to contact them at (775) 751-7000, option 5, as the investigation remains ongoing.

Contact reporter Elijah Dulay at edulay@pvtimes.com

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