Body Found in Bin on Fremont Street: Journalist Murdered, Suspect Dead After High-Speed Chase

In a story that sounds like something out of a crime thriller but is all too real, Las Vegas Metro Police are investigating the disturbing death of local journalist Matthew Kelemen—found dead and wrapped in a tarp inside a storage bin at a business near Fremont Street.

According to law enforcement, on May 20, officers responded to reports of a foul odor at The Beef Jerky Store downtown. The smell was traced to a large, locked bin. When officers cut it open, they discovered blood-stained contents and the body of Kelemen, a journalist known for covering stories few dared to touch. The bin had reportedly been sitting there for at least four days.

The bin was part of a partnership with ‘Bounce’, a global luggage storage service that contracts with local businesses to offer travelers “secure” storage space. Secure? Hardly. It seems the only thing being stored here was a body—raising serious questions about oversight, background checks, and who’s accountable when criminals exploit our cities’ infrastructure.

Investigators quickly identified 63-year-old Joseph Del Rivo as the prime suspect in what has become a high-profile homicide. But any hopes for a swift arrest evaporated the next day. On May 21, Utah Highway Patrol reported Del Rivo died after leading police on a high-speed chase—topping 140 mph—before being ejected from his vehicle and pronounced dead.

It’s the kind of story that should rattle the conscience of any city that values public safety, law enforcement, and journalistic freedom. And yet, few in city leadership or business ownership have commented. The owner of The Beef Jerky Store declined to speak when reached for comment.

So let’s ask the tough questions the mainstream won’t: How does a body go unnoticed for four days in a downtown commercial zone? What kind of vetting is done on companies like Bounce that partner with local businesses? What accountability exists when secure storage becomes a crime scene?

While Kelemen’s voice has been silenced, his death demands answers. If cities like Las Vegas want to brand themselves as entertainment capitals and travel destinations, they can’t keep turning a blind eye to the erosion of public safety. And they certainly can’t allow a journalist to die in silence while bureaucracy and corporate convenience stand untouched.

Source: News 3 Las Vegas