Las Vegas police ID remains of man found in barrel in Lake Mead

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.