Ancient Human Remains Returned to Duckwater Shoshone Tribe in Nye County

Human remains of a 19-year-old woman named Puleng Motlodi, missing since July 2023, were discovered in a pit toilet in Selosesha, Free State, by a multidisciplinary police team. Investigations revealed that Motlodi was kidnapped, strangled, and her body disposed of by a ringleader and accomplices, with arrests ongoing for those involved. Separately, partial ancient human remains of a Native American boy aged between nine and thirteen, discovered in Nye County, Nevada in 2010, were returned to the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe in May 2025 for ceremonial burial after examination by the University of North Texas confirmed the remains were from an ancient burial site. Authorities coordinated with the Bureau of Land Management and the tribe to ensure a respectful repatriation of the remains. These cases highlight ongoing efforts in both criminal justice and cultural heritage preservation. They illustrate the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in solving crimes and honoring indigenous ancestral remains.