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Body found in barrel in Lake Mead identified. It's a man from California
Los Angeles Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Human remains found in a barrel at Lake Mead in 2022 have been identified as Edward Lelburian “Buddy” Jackson, a murder victim from the 1980s, according to Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse.
- Jackson, originally from Arkansas, lived in California and Utah during the 1970s and early 1980s, with a criminal history in Utah and no known ties to Las Vegas.
- He was murdered by a single gunshot wound to the head, and while there was speculation about organized crime involvement, no evidence has supported this theory so far.
- Identification involved forensic genealogy profiling by Oklahoma State University and DNA comparison with Jackson’s family, following initial composite images and data uploads to national databases.
- The discovery coincided with severe drought conditions causing historically low water levels at Lake Mead, exposing areas previously submerged for decades.
