Henderson Police Make Arrest in Burning Drum Case

Henderson, NV – Henderson police have made an arrest in a case involving a woman’s body being found in a burning drum near in the southeast valley on Wednesday morning.

Detectives announced Monday that 43-year-old Freddie Wright had been booked on the following charges:

• 1 count of Open Murder
• 1 count of Arson, 1st Degree
• 1 count of Destroying Evidence

HPD says the investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes after police say a woman’s body was found in a burning metal drum near the Whitney Mesa Recreation Area on Wednesday morning. The woman’s identity has not been released.

Wright is being held without bail at the Henderson Detention Center.

Residents Express Concern

Residents in a Henderson neighborhood Friday expressed concern two days after police say human remains were found in a burning metal drum.

The crime scene, first noticed Tuesday evening just before 8 p.m., is just steps from the Whitney Mesa Estates subdivision near a popular Whitney Mesa Recreation Area trail.

Shannon Hail, who lives in the neighborhood, says she and her husband noticed police activity in the area Tuesday night, but figured it may have been because of a burglary.

“It’s surprising,” Hail says. “You wouldn’t expect something like that.”

On Wednesday, Henderson Police released a statement that people with more questions than answers.

The statement said a woman’s body had been found in the drum. As of Friday afternoon, the woman’s name had not been released.

An HPD spokesperson on Friday told Channel 13 in an email that the investigation is still open, therefore no more information could be released.

Police Canvass Neighborhood

In the hours following the discovery, police canvased the Whitney Mesa Estates area, leaving door hangers requesting information at some homes.

A man who found one of those door hangers — who didn’t wish to be identified — said the incident hasn’t caused him to be in fear at his home, but that it’s definitely unusual.

“One aspect that’s kind of surprising about it is that it was in a heavily trafficked area,” the man said. “It’s just a little bit too close for comfort.”

A popular pedestrian trail winds through the neighborhood and eventually leads to the mesa, a place popular with hikers and dog-walkers.

Everyone in the area on Friday seemed to know about the body in the metal drum.

Credits: KTNV