The discovery made news across the U.S. and overseas. At Lake Mead, a short drive in the desert from Las Vegas, the bones of a man in an old drum were found as the reservoir’s waters receded in 2022.
The identity of the man, one of several sets of remains found that summer, was a mystery. But the cause of death was more certain: There was a single gunshot wound to the head, and he was murdered, police said.
On Thursday, Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse identified the remains as those of Edward Lelburian Jackson, a man in his mid- to late 50s.
But who killed him remains unknown. Police said they believe he was killed in the early ’80s, based on remnants of clothing and interviews with his family.
The discovery of the body, and Las Vegas’ history, prompted speculation that organized crime may have been involved.
“At this point in our investigation, we don’t have any information to support those theories,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police homicide Lt. Robert Price said at a news conference.
Jackson was from Arkansas and had no known connection to Las Vegas, but he traveled around the country, Price said. There’s no information that Jackson gambled, he said.
He lived in Los Angeles and had been married in the early ’70s. There are also records from Utah, where he had a criminal history in the early ’80s on charges of aggravated arson and conspiracy involving fraud, officials said.
Jackson, who also went by “Buddy,” had no known children, Price said.
The remains were found May 1, 2022, in what the wife of a witness described at the time as a “very deteriorated” 50-gallon drum.
Shawna Hollister told NBC affiliate KSNV of Las Vegas at the time that her husband heard a woman scream, went to investigate and found a drum with mostly bones inside, “except for some of his shirt and belt showing.”
The identity was solved through genealogical testing, officials said. Oklahoma State University, which took over testing, had a strong lead this year, and a DNA packet sent to a possible relative turned out to be a match, said Rouse, the coroner.
Price said investigators have spoken to relatives, but they are several degrees removed, and details about Jackson’s life were limited.
“They only knew, like, brief about him being Uncle Buddy,” Price said. “It was very limited information in reference to what he did as far as work and what kind of personality he was.”
Price said police will research Jackson but are asking the public for help. He said someone who knew Jackson, the type of person he was and whom he associated with would be able to provide vital information for investigators.
“It’s an unsolved case. It’ll never be closed until we solve it,” Price said. “It’s a piece of the puzzle.”
Other remains found in 2022 have been identified as those of people who were reported to have drowned, the coroner’s office has said: Thomas Erndt, 42, of Las Vegas, in 2002, and Donald P. Smith, 39, of North Las Vegas, in 1974.
The remains of Claude Russell Pensinger, 52, of Las Vegas, who disappeared July 14, 1998, were identified in 2023, the office said, but no cause or manner was determined.
The water levels at Lake Mead, a reservoir created by the iconic Hoover Dam, have declined as it has suffered a drought of more than 25 years, the worst in its history, according to the Colorado River Commission of Nevada. Increasing temperatures and low snowpack have also played a role, it says.
