After a years-long investigation, police in Nevada have identified the remains of the person found stuffed in a corroded barrel near Las Vegas.
Police identified the man as Edward “Buddy” Lelburian Jackson. He was found in May 2022 with a gunshot wound to the head. The corroded barrel was exposed in Lake Mead after a severe drought caused water levels to drop.
His remains went unidentified until recently, when investigators found his family using DNA, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Robert Price, a homicide detective with the department, said there is no evidence that the death was tied to any known criminal group, despite public speculation that it was mob-related.
“At this point in our investigation, we don’t have information to support those theories,” Price said.
Jackson is believed to have died after being shot in the head in the 1980s, he said, adding that he was probably in his “mid to late 50s” when he died. He was originally from Arkansas, but was known to travel throughout the US West. He had previously lived in California and Utah, officials say.
Authorities have not released new photos of Jackson
He was found with a single gunshot wound to the head. The bullet that killed him has not been found, Price said at a news conference on Thursday, adding that nothing else was found in the barrel besides the clothing that he was wearing.
He had previously been arrested in Salt Lake City, Utah. Price added that he had no known ties to Las Vegas, and had never been reported missing.
His extended relatives in Arkansas told police that he was known to move around frequently.
“He would travel the country. He would show up when he showed up,” Price explained.
Police are still working to identify his killer and any motive in the shooting. Jackson was not known to be a “gambler”, Price said, adding that it could be challenging to track down any of his living associates.
The largest US reservoir, Lake Mead, supplies drinking water to 20 million people from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.
Police had previously warned that more bodies would probably be found as the lake recedes in drought conditions. Three other people have been found inside and positively identified by authorities. Two are believed to have died from drowning, while a third death remains unexplained.
Police had constructed a 3D rendering of the victim’s skull in their effort to identify his remains.
Lake Mead levels have been declining since 2000; droughts have been getting worse in recent years, with scientists saying climate change is exacerbating the situation.
Droughts have been worsening in recent years, something scientists say is being driven by climate change.
Persistent hot summer weather has been causing water levels to drop in rivers and lakes in several countries – leading to unexpected discoveries.
In Hungary, the bodies of two World War Two German soldiers were recovered from the Danube River in Budapest earlier this year. Alongside the remains was a largely intact German army Wehrmacht motorcycle.
Other remnants of World War Two have recently been found in the Danube, including a broken-up hull near Prahovo in Serbia.