Las Vegas police identify murder victim found in Lake Mead barrel

Las Vegas authorities have identified a murder victim whose body was found inside a metal barrel at Lake Mead in 2022, according to reports from The Guardian, Fox News, and the Daily Mail. At a press conference on Thursday, Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse announced that the remains belonged to Edward Lelburian Jackson, who also went by the name Buddy. [1][3][4]

The Guardian and Fox News both reported that Jackson was killed decades ago by a gunshot wound to the head. Fox News and the Daily Mail reported that Jackson was originally from Arkansas and was believed to be in his mid to late 50s at the time of his death, which investigators believe occurred in the early 1980s. [1][3][4]

The discovery followed years of intense public speculation linking the homicide to famous mobsters, according to the Daily Mail. The decomposed remains were found inside a corroded barrel exposed by receding waters in the reservoir, as detailed by The Guardian and the Daily Mail. Lake Mead, which was created by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, sits near Las Vegas and is the largest reservoir in the United States by water capacity. [1][3][10]

Las Vegas police have been working for four years to identify the body rather than searching for a specific killer, according to The Guardian. Fox News reported that Las Vegas Police Lieutenant Robert Price noted Jackson had traveled to various parts of the country before his death. [1][4]