On October 26, 2003, a 911 call led police to a dry lakebed near Boulder City, Nevada – roughly 25 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. There, they discovered the unearthed remains of a brutalized human body.

Disturbing aspects of the crime scene immediately led investigators to conclude that the victim had not been the target of random violence. This had been a well-planned execution.

It would be over 4 months before the remains would be identified as those of Jared Whaley, a Las Vegas high school student who’d been reported missing just 10 days before he was found in a shallow grave in the desert.

For this special episode of the podcast, series creators Jeff Walker and Meagan & Anthony Smith sit down for a conversation about the murder of Jared Whaley as well as the investigation into the killing, and the trial of the group of Jared's friends who were accused of the murder. Meagan also describes her experience of having to testify at the preliminary hearing leading up to the trial and her involvement in the case.

To learn about the murder of Jared Whaley and other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

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