Body Found in Barrel at Lake Mead Identified after 4 years as Arkansas Man, Edward Jackson Killed in Early 1980s.

LAS VEGAS, October 15, 2026– A man whose body was discovered over four years ago in a rusted-out barrel at Lake Mead has been identified as Edward Lelburian “Buddy” Jackson. Forensic investigative genealogy and DNA analysis made the identification possible, Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse said Thursday. The announcement gives an answer to one of the key questions of the case – who was the man? It does not comment on the other, who killed him, and the murder case has yet to be solved.

The remains were recovered on May 1, 2022, at Hemenway Harbor approximately 28 miles outside of Las Vegas. A crew of sailors found a corroded 55-gallon metal barrel on the out-of-water bank. One visitor could see the remains of a man who had decomposed inside, as it was so corroded. The water level in this reservoir had dropped so low that the barrel was exposed after having been underwater for almost 40 years. The finding was made at what was then the lowest level of Lake Mead, which has dropped about 150 feet over the last 20 years.

Autopsy revealed that the man was shot once in the head and his death was ruled a homicide. The clothes he was wearing at the time matched the late 1970s and early 1980s, aiding investigators in dating the killing to the early 1980s. There’s been nothing else discovered in the barrel except the clothes he was wearing, police have said. Investigators believe he was in his mid-to-late 50s when he died.

It took years to identify him. He wasn’t found in any database that investigators could use to determine his DNA, and a profile would not be sufficient to name him. To put a face to the remains, police created a three-dimensional image of his skull. Eventually, the investigators discovered relatives through genetic genealogy, with a sample of DNA from a possible family member matching the victim. The family they contacted were extended family members who knew him by the nickname “Uncle Buddy,” as a man who traveled a lot. Forensic anthropology, genealogical, and traditional detective work were used in the case.

Police pieced together part of Jackson’s life. Jackson was in the Los Angeles area with his wife in the early 1970s, said Lt. Robert Price of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide unit. Family members last saw him when he visited them in Arkansas in the early 1980,s and investigators believe he was residing in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Jackson has a short criminal record in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was charged with aggravated arson and conspiracy to commit fraud, Price said. Police have not been able to connect Jackson to Las Vegas, and have not offered an explanation of how he got into a barrel in Lake Mead.

The case has been subject to speculation of organized crime in Las Vegas history due to this gap. Price spoke to the issue directly, suggesting that the case won’t be solved until investigators are able to determine who killed Jackson. There have been some comparisons made by outsiders. Geoff Schumacher of the Mob Museum said that the find reminded them of mobster John Roselli’s body being dumped in a barrel in a bay off Miami Beach in 1976. That is a comparison, not proof, and the police have not found any connection.

Police believe that the barrel was probably thrown hundreds of yards into the ocean, at a time when Lake Mead water levels were much higher. Now that area is the shoreline as the reservoir has decreased in size. This is the first of four sets of human remains to be discovered in the lake in 2022, and it was the first remains to remain unidentified. Thomas Erndt, 42, of Las Vegas, was among the others discovered May 7, 2022, at Callville Bay. Of the four, only Jackson’s death has been confirmed to be a homicide. The other two were thought to be drowning, and the third case is still unknown. More may be unearthed as water levels in the reservoir continue to drop, police have said. Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the U.S. and provides drinking water to approximately 20 million people in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

In this case, it illustrates how someone who has no usable database match can be identified using forensic science. Both skeletal remains and facial reconstruction were involved, as well as distant relatives and genetic genealogy. It also demonstrates that evidence can be uncovered that was previously hidden for decades through environmental change.

References:

1. KSNV / News3LV. “Lake Mead barrel victim identified; investigators believe he was killed in early 1980s.” https://news3lv.com/news/local/lake-mead-barrel-victim-identified-investigators-believe-he-was-killed-in-early-1980s
2. FOX5 Las Vegas, via KOLD. “Lake Mead barrel murder victim named 4 years after discovery.” https://www.kold.com/2026/10/14/body-barrel-lake-mead-identified-3-years-after-discovery-officials-say/
3. CNN, via KEYT. “Body found in barrel in Lake Mead identified as Arkansas man after DNA testing, Las Vegas authorities say.” https://keyt.com/?p=1490729
4. CNN, via East Idaho News (same report). https://www.eastidahonews.com/?p=877101
5. Fox Weather. “Lake Mead’s chilling barrel discovery gets new answers as officials identify homicide victim.” https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/las-vegas-officials-identify-homicide-victim-lake-mead-barrel
6. Casino.org. “Officials Identify Body Found in Barrel on Drying Lake Mead Shore in 2022.” https://casino.org/news/officials-identify-body-found-in-barrel-on-drying-lake-mead-shore-in-2022
7. Ynetnews. “Lake Mead barrel murder victim identified after 40 years, with mob links suspected.” https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rkdcmt12mg
8. Karmactive. “Lake Mead Remains Identified as Edward Jackson in 1980s Homicide Case.” https://www.karmactive.com/?p=282695
9. Associated Press report as linked in your message. I couldn’t open it directly, but the sources above cover the same announcement. https://apnews.com/article/aa380c6826d788a3123fd36378c7caf9