Young Hip-Hop Star Found Dead Inside A Barrel In Trunk Of Abandoned Car

A missing 27-year-old hip-hop artist was discovered dead near her office in the capital of Guatemala earlier this week, according to reports.

The body of rapper Nesly Lizet Consuegra Monterroso, better known as Nesly Monterroso, was found in a barrel hidden in the trunk of an abandoned car without license plates in Guatemala City Monday morning, the U.S. Sun reported.

Monterroso, who was last seen leaving an office she owned that was near the site three days before the discovery of her body, was killed by a strong blow to the head, according to the outlet, which cited the National Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Residents claimed on social media her body was found with signs of extreme violence, the report said.

There was allegedly some kind of liquid in the barrel as well, but authorities have not confirmed these details.

The barrel containing Monterroso's body was secured with a rope, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office for Crimes against Life and Integrity of Persons, which confirmed the artist's death.

Police have launched a murder probe following the discovery, but they have yet to announce their line of investigation for the case.

The motive for Monterroso's suspected murder is unclear.

Violence and extortion by powerful criminal organizations that Guatemala's government has often been unable or unwilling to control remain serious problems in the country, according to a Human Rights Watch report from last year.

Gang-related violence is an important factor prompting people, including unaccompanied children and young adults, to leave Guatemala, the organization said.

In a similar story to the discovery in Guatemala, a metal barrel that was found in Nevada's Lake Mead earlier this year contained the remains of a man who authorities said died of a gunshot wound.

The barrel, which was discovered by a wandering couple on May 1, also contained items that made investigators conclude that it was from the late 1970s or early 1980s, which was around the time casinos were known to have been operated by organized crime outfits.

Investigators did not rule out the possibility that the death of the unidentified man found inside the barrel was mafia-related.

More discoveries like this are expected in the future as Lake Mead's water levels continue to go down, according to Lt. Ray Spencer of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

"The lake has drained dramatically over the last 15 years, it's likely that we will find additional bodies that have been dumped in Lake Mead," Spencer said.