For decades, the family of an Arkansas man known as “Buddy” believed he was simply somewhere else, traveling the country as he had often done before. They had no reason to know that his life had ended under circumstances that would remain a mystery for more than 40 years.
Now, authorities in Nevada have identified Edward “Buddy” Lelburian Jackson as the man whose remains were discovered inside a barrel at Lake Mead in 2022, bringing a name to one of the region’s most widely publicized unsolved homicide cases.
The identification was announced Thursday, October 15, 2026, during a news conference involving the Clark County Coroner’s Office and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Jackson, believed to have been from the Hot Springs, Arkansas, area, was reportedly in his mid-to-late 50s when he died. Investigators believe he was killed sometime around the early 1980s.
A discovery decades after his death
On May 1, 2022, boaters discovered a deteriorating barrel near Hemenway Harbor at Lake Mead, the large reservoir along the Nevada-Arizona border.
Years of drought and declining water levels had exposed portions of the lakebed that had previously been submerged.
Inside the barrel were human remains. Investigators determined that the victim had suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and the case was classified as a homicide.
At the time, authorities had little information about the man’s identity. Clothing recovered with the remains, including jeans, a short-sleeved shirt, and tennis shoes, suggested the victim had died decades earlier.
Investigators eventually enlisted the assistance of forensic specialists, including the FBI, who developed facial reconstructions in hopes that someone would recognize the unidentified man.
The investigation continued for more than four years before a breakthrough came through forensic genetic genealogy.
A bone sample collected from the remains was used to develop a DNA profile. Researchers, including specialists at Oklahoma State University, worked to identify possible family connections.
Their efforts ultimately led investigators to Jackson’s relatives, whose DNA helped confirm his identity.
An Arkansas family that never reported him missing
Perhaps one of the most unusual aspects of the case is that Jackson had never been reported missing.
According to investigators, Jackson’s relatives in Arkansas described him as someone who frequently traveled and lived independently.
He had spent time in California, where he was married for a period, and records also placed him in Utah during the early 1980s.
His family last recalled seeing him in Arkansas around that same period.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police homicide Lt. Robert Price explained during the October 15 news conference that Jackson’s family was accustomed to his extended absences. They believed he was simply continuing to travel.
For years, there was no missing-person report to connect to the unidentified remains in Nevada.
Investigators also said Jackson had no known children.
While identifying Jackson answers one important question, much about his final years remains unknown. Authorities have not established why he was in the Las Vegas area or what circumstances led to his death.
The investigation continues
The discovery at Lake Mead originally generated speculation about a possible connection to organized crime, particularly because the killing was believed to have occurred during an era when organized crime had a significant presence in Las Vegas.
However, investigators emphasized during Thursday’s announcement that they have found no evidence directly connecting Jackson’s death to organized crime.
His killing remains unsolved.
Jackson’s identification also represents another example of how advances in DNA technology are helping investigators revisit cases that once appeared unlikely to be resolved.
Lake Mead’s declining water levels have exposed several sets of human remains in recent years, although other discoveries have involved drownings and unrelated deaths.
For Jackson’s family, the announcement provides an answer to a question they may not have realized needed asking.
The man they remembered traveling in and out of Arkansas all those years ago has finally been identified.
But investigators still hope to learn who killed Edward “Buddy” Jackson, and why.
Anyone with information about the case can contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Section at 702-828-3521.
Information for this report was obtained from the October 15, 2026, Las Vegas police and Clark County coroner’s news conference, with additional reporting from The Associated Press, Las Vegas Sun, and Los Angeles Times.
