Arkansas Man Identified in Lake Mead Barrel Case
Goldlaner.com – A body found in barrel in Lake Mead has been identified as Edward Lelburian Jackson, an Arkansas resident known as “Buddy,” Las Vegas authorities said. DNA testing and genealogical research helped investigators name the victim more than four decades after his death and years after the remains surfaced near the Nevada reservoir.
Jackson was believed to have been in his 50s when he was killed. Investigators believe he died sometime in the early 1980s after suffering a single gunshot wound to the head. A visitor discovered the barrel in May 2022, when unusually low water levels exposed it near Lake Mead’s shoreline.
Investigation finds no organized-crime evidence
The discovery attracted national attention because of Lake Mead’s location near Las Vegas and the city’s long-assumed links to organized crime. But detectives said they have found no evidence connecting Jackson’s killing to a criminal organization.
“I know there’s been speculation in the past that the homicide had ties to an organized criminal group,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lt. Robert Price said. “However, at this point of our investigation, we don’t have any information to support those theories.”
Authorities said Jackson had no known connection to Las Vegas. He had faced criminal charges in Utah, was last seen visiting relatives in Arkansas during the early 1980s, and had traveled to different parts of the country. Investigators are still trying to determine how he arrived in Southern Nevada and who placed him in the barrel.
The body found in barrel in Lake Mead had been sealed inside a metal container that deteriorated after decades underwater. Severe corrosion allowed the visitor who found it to see decomposed human remains inside.
Clothing helped establish a possible timeline
Detectives initially estimated that the victim was killed between the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Clothing and personal effects found with the remains supported that timeframe: worn light-blue jeans with a Vidal Sasson-style pocket design, a striped short-sleeved button-down shirt in size 2X, size 11 Velcro shoes, and a silver Timex watch.
Those items did not immediately identify Jackson, and the investigation became a cold case. The remains were among four sets recovered around Lake Mead in 2022 as drought and long-term water use pushed the reservoir to record lows and exposed land that had been underwater for decades.
The barrel’s location would have been much farther from shore when it was left there, police said. In 2022, Las Vegas police Lt. Ray Spencer said the site may have been about half a mile to a mile offshore roughly 40 years earlier.
“The person (who disposed of the body) took a lot of steps to make sure that the victim had not been recovered,” Spencer said in 2022.
DNA and genealogy research led to Jackson’s name
Years underwater made the identification difficult because DNA can be damaged over time. Jackson’s DNA was also not already available in a database, as routine DNA collection was not common when investigators believe he died.
In 2023, the FBI laboratory in Quantico created and released a composite image of the victim in hopes that the public could help identify him. A bone sample sent for genealogy profiling in early 2024 produced a possible family connection, but officials said that result was not close enough to confirm an identity.
Further forensic genealogy work eventually provided the breakthrough. Although the body found in barrel in Lake Mead now has a name, the homicide investigation remains open, and authorities continue seeking information about Jackson’s death and the circumstances that brought him to the reservoir.
Lake Mead body found in barrel: FAQ
Where was the barrel discovered? It was found near the shoreline of Lake Mead, the reservoir on the Nevada-Arizona border near Las Vegas.
When was the body discovered? A visitor found the barrel in May 2022 after lower water levels exposed the area.
Has anyone been charged in the case? No charges were announced. Authorities said the homicide investigation is still ongoing.
Was the death linked to organized crime? Investigators said they have not found information supporting theories that the killing was connected to an organized criminal group.
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