UPDATE: Deceased Female Found in Henderson Fits Description of Missing Teen, Police Reveal

Posted on: January 5, 2025, 06:17h. 

Last updated on: January 6, 2025, 06:01h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

UPDATE:  The Clark County coroner’s office has identified the deceased female as Jennaleah Hin, according to Las Vegas TV station KLAS.

EARLIER: A dead body located in Henderson, Nevada on Sunday morning has similar characteristics to the 17-year-old local girl who has been missing since last Monday, according to police.

Henderson, Nev. police SUV
A Henderson, Nev. police SUV, pictured above. Police said a deceased female found on Sunday matches the description of a missing teen. (Image: City of Henderson)

Henderson police revealed in a statement that the female was found in the desert, east of Desert Sunflower Circle. The location is about 17 miles southeast of Las Vegas.

The body reportedly was spotted by someone who alerted Henderson police and firefighters.

When officers and fire crews arrived at 10:42 a.m., they examined the person and concluded that she matched the description of Jennaleah “Jenna” Hin, police said.

No Foul Play

“Henderson Detectives responded to the scene and based on preliminary investigations, there does not appear to be signs of foul play,” a police statement released at 2:32 p.m. on Sunday said.

The name of the decedent will be released by the Clark County Coroner’s Office pending notification of next of kin. As this is an open investigation, no further details will be released at this time,” Sunday’s statement added.

Worries About Dehydration

Late last week, officials warned that the missing teen may be in the desert and searchers expressed concern that survivability was challenging in the wilderness much beyond 72 hours, without food or water.

Hin fled from her residence after getting into a dispute with her parents. She didn’t take food or water, supplies, or a cell phone, authorities said.

“She was distraught when she left,” Mark Speer, commander of Red Rock Search and Rescue’s (a regional volunteer organization), told reporters late last week. “So, every day it gets more critical… Every day is more critical than the prior day.”

Scent Picked Up By Dog

A specially-trained dog had picked up her scent last week, but she couldn’t be located. In addition to search dogs, the search was aided by helicopters, drones, and searchers on horses, motorcycles, and off-road vehicles.

Several police departments, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, school police officers, and the Red Rock Search and Rescue were among those involved in the search. Some high school classmates and adults from the region volunteered, too.

Speer said the disagreement was a “normal family dispute … that teenagers have with their parents. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

He further described the missing teen as “exemplary in every way. Never had any problems with mom and dad. No issues with running away or with law enforcement in her history.”

She’s a straight-A student at Foothill High School in Henderson and had plans to attend nursing school, according to Las Vegas TV station KSNV.

Her parents were devastated and immediately began to search for their daughter once they realized she was missing.