Douglas County officials hope to know by Friday the identity of a badly decomposed body of a man found last weekend by a hiker in the Johnson Lane area.
Sheriff Ron Pierini said Tuesday investigators are treating the desert site in the southeast area of Johnson Lane as a crime scene.
"We will treat it as a crime scene until it's determined either way," he said.
A cause of death for the white male had not been determined.
"It could take two days to two weeks until the coroner confirms what he died of," Pierini said.
He expects DNA test results by Friday which would help determine the man's identity.
"We hope DNA will offer confirmation as to who it is," he said. "There was no identification on the body."
Pierini said no weapons or personal belongings were found at the site.
By the condition of the body, officials estimated the victim had been at the site for a month.
"The skin was worse than you could ever imagine," Pierini said.
A hiker found the body about 2 p.m. Sunday and contacted the sheriff's department by cell phone.
The sheriff's office is asking anyone with information to contact Investigator Ron Elges, 782-9905, or Secret Witness, 782-7463.
YOU CAN HELP
Anyone with information about the body of a white male found Sunday in the desert in the southeast area of Johnson Lane is asked to contact Investigator Ron Elges, 782-9905, or Secret Witness, 782-7463.
