Investigators identified the slain man as Edward “Buddy” Lelburian Jackson of Arkansas, but his decades-old killing remains unsolved.
LAS VEGAS — Authorities have identified a man whose remains were found inside a rusted barrel along Lake Mead in 2022 as Edward “Buddy” Lelburian Jackson, an Arkansas native believed to have been killed more than four decades ago, officials announced Thursday.
Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse said Jackson was in his mid- to late 50s when he died. Investigators previously determined he suffered a gunshot wound to the head and classified his death as a homicide. The identification resolves one major question in a case that drew international attention when drought and declining reservoir levels exposed the barrel, but authorities still do not know who killed Jackson, why he was killed or how he came to be at Lake Mead.
Boaters discovered the barrel near Hemenway Harbor on May 1, 2022, as unusually low water levels exposed stretches of shoreline that had long been submerged. Investigators determined the remains belonged to an adult man and began working to establish his identity. Clothing recovered with the body, including a short-sleeve button-down shirt, light blue jeans, a silver wristwatch and blue-and-white athletic shoes, helped authorities estimate when he may have died.
Officials initially estimated the killing occurred sometime between the mid-1970s and early 1980s, in part because of the clothing and footwear found with Jackson. More recent investigative work led authorities to focus on the early 1980s. Jackson’s family told detectives that they last remembered seeing him in Arkansas during that period, according to authorities.
The identification was made with the help of forensic genetic genealogy. Investigators obtained a bone sample and developed genetic information that could be compared with genealogical records. Authorities also used composite facial images and information about Jackson’s clothing as they tried to establish who he was. The work eventually led investigators to relatives and allowed the coroner’s office to confirm Jackson’s identity.
Jackson was believed to be from Hot Springs, Arkansas, and had also spent time in California and Utah. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police homicide Lt. Robert Price said investigators found records showing Jackson had lived with his wife in California in the early 1970s. He later had a brief criminal history in Salt Lake City that included an aggravated arson charge and a conspiracy-to-commit-fraud case, authorities said.
Police said Jackson had not been reported missing. His relatives told investigators that he traveled frequently and could disappear for long periods before returning without warning. Because that behavior was not unusual for him, family members did not initially believe something had happened when they stopped hearing from him. Investigators have not established why Jackson traveled to the Las Vegas area before his death or what he was doing there.
The circumstances surrounding the barrel fueled speculation that Jackson might have been killed in connection with organized crime. Las Vegas had extensive organized-crime activity during the decades when investigators believe Jackson died, and hiding a body in a barrel has long been associated with some mob killings. Police, however, said they have found no evidence directly linking Jackson’s death to organized crime. Investigators have not ruled out that possibility but cautioned that there is currently nothing establishing such a connection.
The discovery attracted particular attention because it came as falling water levels revealed other human remains around Lake Mead. Several sets were found in 2022 as drought, long-term overuse and rising temperatures pushed the reservoir to historic lows. Clark County officials later identified some of those remains as people who had drowned or disappeared years earlier, including a Las Vegas man missing since 1998 and another man connected to a 1974 drowning.
The barrel case stood apart because investigators quickly determined the man had been killed. Lake Mead’s much higher water levels decades ago likely left the barrel deeply submerged before years of decline exposed the shoreline where boaters eventually found it. In August 2026, additional human remains were found at the reservoir, underscoring how changing water levels have continued to reveal objects and remains that had been hidden underwater.
Identifying Jackson now gives homicide detectives a name, family history and known movements to examine as they work backward through a case more than 40 years old. Investigators can review people he knew, places he lived and records that might help explain his presence in Southern Nevada. Authorities have not publicly named a suspect, identified a motive or announced evidence showing who placed Jackson inside the barrel.
Police said the homicide investigation remains open and that solving Jackson’s identity does not close the case. Detectives are seeking information from anyone who may have known Jackson, encountered him in Las Vegas or had knowledge of his activities in the years before his death. Authorities said the investigation will continue until they can determine what happened to him and, if possible, identify the person responsible.
Author note: Last updated October 18, 2026.