US police identify remains of man found in barrel in shrinking reservoir
Edward "Buddy" Jackson's body was found stuffed in a barrel in 2022, with a gunshot wound to the head. Police say he likely was killed four decades ago.
US police identify remains of man found in barrel in shrinking reservoir
After a years-long investigation, police in Nevada have identified the remains of the person discovered stuffed inside a corroded barrel near Las Vegas.
Police said the man was Edward "Buddy" Lelburian Jackson. He was found in May 2022 with a gunshot wound to the head. The corroded barrel was revealed in Lake Mead after a severe drought lowered water levels.
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, his remains stayed unidentified until recently, when investigators located his family through DNA.
Robert Price, a homicide detective with the department, said there is no evidence the death was connected to any known criminal group, despite public speculation that it was mob-related.
"At this point in our investigation, we don't have information to support those theories," Price said.
Price said Jackson is believed to have died after being shot in the head in the 1980s, adding that he was probably in his "mid to late 50s" when he died. He was originally from Arkansas, but was known to travel across the US West. Officials say he had also lived in California and Utah.
He was found with a single gunshot wound to the head. Price said at a news conference on Thursday that the bullet that killed him has not been recovered, and that nothing else was found in the barrel apart from the clothing he was wearing.
He had previously been arrested in Salt Lake City, Utah. Price added that he had no known links to Las Vegas and had never been reported missing.
His extended relatives in Arkansas told police that he was known to move around often.
"He would travel the country. He would show up when he showed up," Price explained.
Police are still trying to identify his killer and determine a motive in the shooting. Price said Jackson was not known to be a "gambler", adding that it may be difficult to track down any of his living associates.
Lake Mead, the largest US reservoir, supplies drinking water to 20 million people from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.
Police had earlier warned that more bodies would likely be found as the lake recedes in drought conditions. Three other people have been found inside and positively identified by authorities. Two are believed to have died from drowning, while a third death remains unexplained.
Police had created a 3D rendering of the victim's skull as part of their effort to identify his remains.
Lake Mead levels have been falling since 2000, and droughts have worsened in recent years, with scientists saying climate change is making the situation worse.
Droughts have been worsening in recent years, something scientists say is being driven by climate change.
Persistent hot summer weather has been causing water levels to drop in rivers and lakes in several countries, leading to unexpected discoveries.
In Hungary, the bodies of two World War Two German soldiers were recovered from the Danube River in Budapest earlier this year. Alongside the remains was a largely intact German army Wehrmacht motorcycle.
Other remnants of World War Two have recently appeared in the Danube, including a broken-up hull near Prahovo in Serbia.