Nevada police identify man found in Lake Mead barrel after years‑long probe

Police in Nevada have identified the remains of a man discovered in a corroded barrel exposed at Lake Mead as Edward “Buddy” Lelburian Jackson.

Jackson, believed to have been in his mid‑to‑late 50s when he died, was found in May 2022 with a single gunshot wound to the head. The barrel became visible after a severe drought lowered water levels in the reservoir.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department homicide detective Robert Price said DNA work led to the identification and that there is no evidence linking the death to any known criminal group, despite earlier speculation.

Jackson, originally from Arkansas, had lived in California and Utah and had previously been arrested in Salt Lake City. He had no known ties to Las Vegas and was never reported missing, according to his relatives.

Investigators have not recovered the bullet and have found only the victim’s clothing inside the barrel. Police continue to seek the killer and motive.

Lake Mead, the largest U.S. reservoir, has been receding since 2000, prompting warnings that more bodies could emerge as water levels drop.

Source: BBC News. Photo: Wendelin Jacober / Pexels.