The grisly discovery of longtime Las Vegas journalist Matthew Kelemen's body inside a storage container near Fremont Street has left investigators with more questions than answers, as the prime suspect died in a fiery crash hundreds of miles away before he could face justice.
Kelemen, 56, was found dead at a downtown Las Vegas business on May 20, 2025, after officers received reports of a foul smell coming from a large container in the 100 block of North 3rd Street, near North Las Vegas Boulevard and Ogden Avenue, according to WVVA. The freelance writer had been missing for days before the macabre discovery that would shock the local journalism community.
Coroner Confirms Homicidal Violence
In August 2025, the Clark County coroner officially ruled Kelemen's death as caused by homicidal violence, confirming what investigators had suspected since May. This new finding underscores the case as a clear homicide, even though the primary suspect died before he could be charged.
A Life Cut Short in Downtown Las Vegas
Kelemen contributed to several Las Vegas publications for more than two decades, most recently writing for Las Vegas Magazine. His work appeared in publications such as "The Daily Beast," "Las Vegas Sun" and "Las Vegas Weekly," with his most recent article being a review of Janet Jackson's residency published after his death.
Officers had to use bolt cutters to open the locked bin, where they found contents stained with blood as well as Kelemen's body wrapped in a tarp, as reported by Law & Crime. Documents reviewed by investigators indicate Kelemen likely died as a result of blunt force trauma, with his sister being told by police that he was believed to have been struck from behind with a hammer.
The Bounce Storage Connection
The investigation quickly focused on The Beef Jerky Store's partnership with 'Bounce', a storage company that works with local businesses around the world to allow secure spaces for travelers to store their luggage, according to News 3 Las Vegas. At the business, customers use a mobile app to arrange their luggage drop-offs.
According to details shared by Kelemen's sister from her conversations with Metro police, the victim's housemate, 63-year-old Joseph Del Rivo, had dropped off the box on Monday, saying someone would return to pick it up within a week. On Tuesday, Del Rivo reportedly hired a moving company to retrieve the container.
A Suspect Who Escaped Justice
Police identified 63-year-old Joseph Del Rivo as a suspect in the case, but learned that Del Rivo had died in an unrelated high-speed chase with Utah Highway Patrol the day before Kelemen's body was discovered. Utah Highway Patrol revealed Del Rivo had been involved in a high-speed police chase in Richfield, Utah, where he drove speeds in excess of 140mph before being ejected from his vehicle and pronounced dead, as detailed by News 3 Las Vegas.
Troubling Living Arrangements
The victim's family revealed disturbing details about Kelemen's final months. Kelemen had told family the previous Thursday that he planned to move out of the room he leased in a rental also occupied by Del Rivo. He had only lived there about six months, but kept telling his brother what a strange person Del Rivo was, saying he was "really uneasy living there".
"'The guy was a disgusting slob,' were his words," said Kelemen's sister Mikki Zaferatos. "Matt said, 'OK, I'm going to tell him. I'm just worried about how he's going to react.'"
Violence Against Journalists: A Growing Concern
This case adds to troubling statistics about violence against media workers in the United States. According to NPR, German was the only journalist killed in the U.S. in 2022, with the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists maintaining records of 17 media workers killed in the U.S. since 1992.
The Kelemen case follows the high-profile murder of Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German in September 2022. Former Las Vegas-area Democratic elected official Robert Telles was sentenced in October 2024 to serve at least 28 years in Nevada state prison for killing German, who had written articles critical of Telles' conduct in office.
Las Vegas Crime Trends
Metro police report solving 95.62 percent of 2024 homicides, though the Kelemen case presents unique challenges given the suspect's death, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal. Domestic violence remains "the leading cause" of murders investigated by Metro in 2024, though this case appears to stem from a roommate dispute rather than intimate partner violence.
The Investigation Continues
Kelemen's sister offered a haunting detail about the container, telling investigators, "We believe that might have been one of my brother's amplifier boxes. Matt played the guitar and he had amplifiers, and it was a big black box".
Despite Del Rivo's death, anyone with information about the suspected homicide is still urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section by phone at 702-828-3521, or by email at [email protected]. The case represents a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by those living in shared housing arrangements and the importance of trusting instincts about potentially dangerous situations.
