LAS VEGAS -- Las Vegas police detectives are investigating a break in the case of a husband and father who vanished more than a year ago. Heriberto "Nony" Herrera's disappeared late last year, and investigators are pursuing their most promising lead to date.
The new lead takes investigators back to where they started -- Mount Charleston. In June of 2010, about two weeks after he disappeared, police recovered Herrera's SUV parked near the Trail Canyon trailhead. But Nony was nowhere to be found.
In the months following their Herrera's disappearance, his sisters Mari Fernandez and Rita Williams searched among the city's lost souls for a trace of the suburban husband and father. But as days became weeks, and then months without a word, the sisters suspected they were looking in the wrong place. Turns out, they might be right.
"I just could not believe it. I could not believe it. It took me a few minutes to get myself together," said Fernandez.
I-Team: Family Suspects Foul Play in Man's Disappearance
In recent weeks, investigators notified Mari of a promising new lead in Nony's case. Hikers traversing rugged terrain on Mummy Mountain 9,500 feet in elevation discovered a weathered box containing personal and financial records police believe were in Nony's possession the day he disappeared.
The location pinpointed by the hikers, according to investigators, is a three to four hour walk from where they recovered Nony's SUV.
Metro Lt. Rob Lunquist is supervising the missing person's investigation.
"I would say this is a break in the case," he said. "When we have any information like this, it's almost a breath of fresh air, where they can go, 'Ok, now we at least have something to go to, something to look for.' Before it is -- it's like a needle in a haystack. All you have is different information you're following up and really trying your best to figure out what happened, so this really gives us a good starting point."
With the assistance of Metro's Search and Rescue Team, investigators plan to comb the area for additional evidence, or perhaps Nony himself.
Police have not ruled out the possibility the 41-year-old, who had a newly diagnosed mental illness, committed suicide. But his sisters, who have long suspected their brother met with foul play, remain skeptical he is on the mountain.
Nony, who suffered from asthma, was not a hiker, they say. And on the day he went missing, as seen in surveillance video, he wore a cast on his left arm.
"This is a two foot trail. He's not an experienced hiker, so I'm not understanding how he can get up there that far up, not being experienced, carrying all of these items. How is it physically possible?" said Fernandez. "I'm hopeful that they find something, but my heart tells me that they aren't going to find anything."
But the sister's say they're grateful for the effort, for the hikers, and for the renewed hope that those who seek will one day find.
Nony's siblings wanted to express their appreciation to the hikers for bringing his belongings down the mountain and turning them over to police. They hope to get the chance to thank them personally.
Police often say information that seems insignificant may be a critical lead. So if you have any information about Nony's disappearance or if you saw him on May 14, 2010, or if you saw a hiker with a cast or carrying a box, contact Metro's Missing Persons Detail at (702) 828-5678.
Heriberto "Nony" Herrera
"Nony" Herrera on Surveillance Video
