Investigators identify man found in Lake Mead barrel in 2022; homicide remains unsolved

An identification, not a new discovery

Clark County’s coroner and Las Vegas police identified the man found in a barrel at Lake Mead as Edward “Buddy” Lelburian Jackson during an October 15 news conference. FOX5 and KTNV reported the announcement.

The remains were discovered at Hemenway Harbor on May 1, 2022, after falling water exposed the barrel. This week’s development concerns the victim’s identity; it is not a report of another newly discovered body.

The killing is still under investigation

Officials believe Jackson was in his mid-to-late 50s when he died. An autopsy found a gunshot wound to the head, and his death was ruled a homicide. Investigators believe the killing occurred in the 1980s; an exact date has not been established in the reviewed accounts.

Police said they had not established Jackson’s connection to Las Vegas. They also said they had no information supporting speculation about organized-crime involvement. Identifying Jackson does not resolve who killed him.

How investigators reached a name

FOX5 reported that the identification involved forensic work with Oklahoma State University and composite images from the FBI laboratory. ABC News reported that a bone sample and DNA profiling helped investigators find a family match.