Officials Identify Body Found in Barrel on Drying Lake Mead Shore in 2022

Clark County officials on Thursday released the identity of the murder victim found inside a corroded barrel on the receding shoreline of Lake Mead, advancing a high-profile cold case that reignited speculation regarding Las Vegas’ organized-crime era.

The Clark County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Edward “Buddy” Lelburian Jackson, an Arkansas native believed to have been in his mid-to-late 50s when he was killed.

Jackson’s remains were discovered on May 1, 2022, by boaters who spotted a highly corroded 55-gallon metal barrel on the exposed shoreline of Hemenway Harbor, about 28 miles southeast of Las Vegas. The area had been submerged for decades before severe drought caused reservoir water levels to retreat.

Mob Hit Theories Dismissed

The discovery immediately stirred public fascination, largely because of the barrel—a hallmark of mob-era killings during the 1970s and early 1980s, when organized crime families exerted influence over Las Vegas casinos.

Historical researchers and commentators from the Mob Museum initially speculated the remains could belong to high-profile figures who vanished during that era, including slot-cheating syndicate boss George “Jay” Vandermark, drug informant William Crespo, or casino worker Johnny Pappas.

However, homicide detectives confirmed Thursday that none of those theories match the physical evidence.

While Jackson had a limited criminal history in Salt Lake City during the early 1980s—including charges of aggravated arson and conspiracy to commit fraud—investigators emphasized that nothing uncovered connects his homicide to organized crime.

Trace Evidence and Timeline

Born in Arkansas, Jackson briefly lived in the Los Angeles area with his wife in the early 1970s before residing in Hot Springs, Ark. His nieces and nephews, who knew him as “Uncle Buddy,” told authorities he enjoyed traveling, though they were unsure why he was in the Las Vegas area.

Detectives had previously confirmed the victim died from a gunshot wound to the head. Based on the clothing, shoes and Timex wristwatch found with him, they estimated he was killed sometime between the mid‑1970s and early 1980s.

His body was placed in the barrel and left in an area that lay underwater for decades—until the lake’s dramatic decline exposed it.

Jackson’s homicide remains unsolved. Detectives continue to review archival records and follow up on leads, though police acknowledge that the four-decade gap between the murder and the recovery of his body creates steep investigative hurdles.

Additional Lake Mead Recoveries

Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, has dropped to historic lows due to prolonged drought, rising temperatures, and heavy demand across the Southwest. As the shoreline retreated, multiple sets of remains surfaced in 2022 alone.

One set was identified as belonging to Thomas Erndt, a 42-year-old Las Vegas man whose remains were found May 7, 2022 at Callville Bay. He was reported to have drowned on August 2, 2002, though his official cause and manner of death remain undetermined.

Another belonged to Claude Russell Pensinger, a 52-year-old Las Vegas man who vanished on July 14, 1998. His remains were found on three separate dates (July 25, Aug. 6, and Aug. 16, 2022) near Boulder Beach, with cause and manner of death also undetermined.

Remains found later that year were linked to the accidental 1974 drowning of Donald P. Smith, a 39-year-old North Las Vegas man whose remains were found Oct. 17 and 19, 2022 at Callville Bay.

Additional remains (including a jawbone with teeth) discovered on Aug. 16, 2026 at Boulder Beach have not been identified but were preliminarily treated as non-criminal.