Las Vegas Metro police discovered the body of freelance journalist Matthew Kelemen inside a container at a downtown establishment last Tuesday, following reports of a foul odor. The discovery came roughly one week after his suspected murderer, Joseph Del Rivo, allegedly packed the journalist's remains into the container and left it at the location.
Del Rivo, 63, who was Kelemen's flatmate, dropped off the container at a store on North 3rd Street in Downtown Las Vegas, informing staff that someone would collect it within approximately a week. When a logistics company later removed the package, employees noticed the bad odor and alerted authorities.
In a separate incident unrelated to the murder investigation, Joseph Del Rivo died in a high-speed car crash in Utah, according to police reports.
Authorities have stated that the cause of Kelemen's death is still under investigation, although detectives believe he likely succumbed to blunt force trauma. The Las Vegas coroner's office is conducting further examinations.
Matthew Kelemen had been a freelance writer contributing to several publications, including Las Vegas Magazine, The Daily Beast, Las Vegas Sun, and Las Vegas Weekly. Prior to his freelance career, he worked as a staff writer for now-defunct outlets City Life and 944. His last published article, a review of Janet Jackson's residency, appeared posthumously.
Kelemen's sister, Mikki Zaferatos, described the unfolding events as reminiscent of "horror-movie stuff." She revealed that Kelemen had been living in the shared residence with Del Rivo for about six months and often expressed discomfort around him, describing Del Rivo as a "disgusting slob" and "a strange guy." At the time of his death, Kelemen was preparing to move out.
Kelemen is survived by his siblings Steven, Vincent, and Mikki. The family has preserved his body of work dating back to 2003. Authorities continue their investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
