Do you know who murdered Francis James McDonough? On Thanksgiving morning, November 27, 1997, the body of 20-year-old Francis James McDonough was discovered by National Park Service workers in a desert area of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area near Las Vegas, Nevada. The grim discovery was made at approximately 6:18 a.m. near the 3.3-mile marker on North Shore Road. McDonough, a male, had been bound, stripped of his clothing, and shot to death.
Investigators believe the murder occurred at a different location before his body was left in the desert.
The investigation into the violent death of Francis McDonough led authorities to a car he had borrowed from a friend. The vehicle was located in the vicinity of Hollywood and Lake Mead Boulevard, several miles from where his body was found. The significant distance between the locations of the body and the car suggested a complex series of events leading to his death. Law enforcement officials dedicated considerable effort to uncovering the truth behind the brutal slaying, but the actual crime scene has never been located.
In the course of their investigation, detectives questioned several individuals. One person of interest was 20-year-old Jamie Lynn Bechyne, who authorities believed might have information that could help solve the case. Despite their inquiries and the passage of time, the homicide of Francis James McDonough remains unsolved. Law enforcement has continued to appeal to the public for any information that could lead to an arrest and bring closure to his family.
