Man shot in head, stuffed into barrel identified after 40 years

Las Vegas: A man who was shot in the head and stuffed into a barrel more than four decades ago has finally been identified after falling water levels at a US lake exposed his remains.

Authorities in Las Vegas identified the victim on Thursday as Edward Lelburian Jackson, an Arkansas man believed to have been in his mid-to-late 50s when he was killed.

His remains were discovered by boaters in May 2022 inside a rusted barrel along the shore of Lake Mead, near Las Vegas. Investigators believe he was murdered in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

The discovery sparked speculation about a possible connection to organised crime, particularly because disposing of bodies in barrels was associated with mob killings during Las Vegas' gambling heyday.

However, police said they have found no evidence linking Jackson's death to organised crime.

DNA helps identify victim

Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse said investigators used genetic genealogy to identify Jackson.

Investigators submitted a bone sample for DNA analysis and also examined facial reconstructions and clothing found with the remains.

Forensic specialists developed a potential family connection, allowing authorities to confirm his identity through DNA.

Jackson was wearing a short-sleeved button-down shirt, light blue jeans, blue-and-white tennis shoes, and a silver wristwatch when authorities found his body.

Family never reported him missing

One of the case's more unusual details is that Jackson's family never reported him missing.

According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police homicide Lieutenant Robert Price, Jackson travelled frequently and sometimes disappeared for extended periods.

His relatives last saw him in Arkansas in the early 1980s.

Investigators also found records showing he had lived in California with his wife during the early 1970s.

Jackson had a brief criminal history in Utah in the early 1980s, including charges involving aggravated arson and conspiracy to commit fraud.

Police said they have not established why he was in Las Vegas or how he ended up in Lake Mead.

Was it a mob killing?

The discovery of Jackson's body revived memories of Las Vegas' organised crime era, when criminal groups maintained influence over parts of the city's casino industry.

Geoff Schumacher, vice president of research, collections and programmes at The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, said the circumstances resembled methods used in organised crime killings.

He compared the case with the 1976 murder of mobster John Roselli, whose body was found inside a barrel near Miami Beach.

However, police stressed that investigators have uncovered no evidence directly connecting Jackson's murder to organised crime.

They have not ruled out the possibility.

Falling lake levels exposed remains

Lake Mead, one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, has seen falling water levels due to prolonged drought and heavy water use.

As the water receded in 2022, areas previously submerged for decades became exposed.

Several sets of human remains were discovered around the lake that year.

Some were later identified as drowning victims, while Jackson's death was classified as a homicide.

Although investigators have now established his identity, the circumstances of his killing remain unknown.

Police are appealing for information that could help determine who killed him.