Body Discovered in Lake Mead Barrel Identified by Police

WHO:

NBC News - Jackson was from Arkansas and had no known connection to Las Vegas, but he traveled around the country.

NBC News - Jackson lived in Los Angeles and had been married in the early ’70s. He had no known children.

NBC News - Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse identified the remains as those of Edward Lelburian Jackson, who also went by "Buddy."

NBC News - Jackson had a criminal history in the early ’80s on charges of aggravated arson and conspiracy involving fraud.

NBC News - The remains have been identified as those of Edward Lelburian Jackson, a man in his mid- to late 50s.

Fox News - Las Vegas authorities identified the suspected murder victim found in a barrel at Lake Mead.

CNN - Las Vegas police are involved in the investigation and identification of the body.

WHAT:

NBC News - Investigators have spoken to relatives of Jackson, but they are several degrees removed, and details about his life were limited.

NBC News - Investigators are asking the public for help in providing information about Jackson's life and associates, as details are limited.

NBC News - The cause of death was determined to be a single gunshot wound to the head, indicating he was murdered.

NBC News - The identity was confirmed through genealogical testing, with a DNA match found through a relative.

Fox News - A barrel containing human remains surfaced at Lake Mead in 2022.

CNN - Police are set to publicly reveal the identity of the man whose body was found in the barrel.

CNN - The man was shot, and authorities estimate he was killed between the mid-1970s and early 1980s.

CNN - The man was wearing a button-down short-sleeve shirt, light blue jeans, a silver wristwatch, and blue-and-white tennis shoes.

CNN - A second barrel was found by a KLAS-TV news crew shortly after the first, which was empty.

CNN - Paddleboarders discovered human remains on a newly surfaced sand bar, but officials found no evidence of foul play.

CNN - In August, more human remains were discovered, and police again determined there was no evidence of foul play.

WHERE:

Fox News - The body was found in Lake Mead.

CNN - Lake Mead is part of a system that provides Colorado River water to more than 40 million people across several states and Mexico.

WHEN:

CNN - The body was found in a barrel in Lake Mead in 2022.

CNN - The police are scheduled to hold a news conference on Thursday afternoon to announce the identity of the victim.

WHY:

NBC News - Police stated that they do not have any information to support theories of organized crime involvement in Jackson's murder.

NBC News - Investigators believe Jackson was killed in the early ’80s based on remnants of clothing and interviews with his family.

CNN - The discovery of the body sparked memories of Las Vegas’ mob era, which ended in the mid-1980s.

HOW:

NBC News - The identification of Jackson was achieved through genealogical testing conducted by Oklahoma State University, which had a strong lead this year.

NBC News - The identification process involved genealogical testing conducted by Oklahoma State University, which had a strong lead this year.

CNN - The dropping water level of Lake Mead has exposed areas that were previously underwater, leading to the discovery of the barrel and other remains.

(UPDATED October 16, 2026 11:58 UTC)

Investigators have identified a man named Jackson, who was originally from Arkansas and had been living in Los Angeles, but had no known ties to Las Vegas. While they have spoken to his relatives, the information about his life remains limited, as those relatives are several degrees removed. The identification was made possible through genealogical testing conducted by Oklahoma State University, which had a promising lead earlier this year.

(UPDATED October 16, 2026 05:00 UTC)

The remains of Edward Lelburian Jackson, known as "Buddy," have been identified by Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse. Investigators are seeking public assistance to gather more information about Jackson's life and associates, as details remain scarce, while police have indicated there is no evidence to suggest organized crime played a role in his murder. The identification was made possible through genealogical testing conducted by Oklahoma State University, which had a promising lead earlier this year.

(UPDATED October 16, 2026 01:17 UTC)

The remains of Edward Lelburian Jackson, a man in his mid- to late 50s, have been identified, with investigators determining that he was murdered by a single gunshot wound to the head. His identity was confirmed through genealogical testing, which found a DNA match with a relative, and investigators believe he was killed in the early ’80s based on remnants of clothing and family interviews. The identification process was conducted by Oklahoma State University, which had a strong lead this year.

(UPDATED October 15, 2026 20:02 UTC)

Las Vegas authorities have identified the suspected murder victim found in a barrel at Lake Mead, where human remains surfaced in 2022. Police are set to hold a news conference on Thursday afternoon to publicly reveal the identity of the man, who was shot and believed to have been killed between the mid-1970s and early 1980s. The dropping water levels at Lake Mead have exposed areas that were previously underwater, leading to this discovery and sparking memories of Las Vegas’ mob era, which ended in the mid-1980s.