Four years after discovery, remains found in a barrel in Lake Mead identified as those of 1980s murder victim

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