Homicide victim identified as body found in barrel in Lake Mead amid frenzied speculation it is famous Vegas mobster

An Arkansas man has been identified as the person whose remains were found in a barrel in Lake Mead, following a frenzy of speculation tying the homicide to a famous mobster. 

Edward ‘Buddy’ Lelburian Jackson, who is said to be in his mid to late 50s at the time of his death, was confirmed as the body discovered near Las Vegas, Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse said Thursday.   

The decomposed remains were stuffed inside a corroded metal barrel and were discovered buried in the mud at Hemenway Harbor in May 2022. 

Born in 1930, he apparently spent much of his adult years traveling, family told investigators. 

He was briefly married in his early 20s in 1953 in Los Angeles County in California and had no children.  

Jackson had never been officially reported missing and his family members were not sure what he was doing in Las Vegas and had no previous ties to the city, officials said. 

He was last seen in Arkansas in the early 1980s on a family visit. His parents had both died by the time he had and his only sister passed away in 2018.  

In October of 1982, Jackson was investigated in Salt Lake City for allegedly paying to set fire to a mobile home and trailer for the insurance money. 

He pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in March 1983 after the property burned down. The arson charged was dropped as part of the deal. 

Jackson’s discovery has not allowed investigators to rule out any potential motives for his death but he is not believed to have any ties to the mafia.  

As water levels receded during an historic drought, the body was uncovered by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. 

According to Rouse, the remains were a man who was killed by a gunshot to the head before he was squeezed into the metal drum. 

Authorities have reported that the specific homicide method has been famously associated with Mob affiliated groups who dispose of their victims’ bodies

‘The minute you hear ‘body in the barrel,’ your mind instantly goes to, ‘Wow, I wonder if this is connected to any type of organized crime or mob?’ The fact of the matter is, we’re not gonna know until the day that the remains are identified,’ Lieutenant Jason Johansson of Las Vegas Metro Police Department told ABC News

Since then, speculation about the body’s identity have circulated for four years as officials continued their investigation.

Critics have also questioned if the homicide victim was a prominent mobster figure after clothing was found in the barrel. 

Investigators described the oil drum containing a watch, Kmart brand clothing, and sneakers. These items helped confirm the time period of the murder to range from 1975 to 1985.  

Theories about his identity have been narrowed down to three main mob figures, Jonny Pappas, George ‘Jay’ Vandermark or William Crespo.

Pappas, also known as Yiannis Panagiotakos, was a Greek‑American who managed the Stardust hotel and other Las Vegas casinos. 

According to ABC News reports, during the mid-70s Pappas was running Echo Bay Marina, a popular Lake Mead location associated with organized crime. 

Vandermark was a slot machine worker at the Stardust who vanished in 1976 while being pursued by the Chicago Outfit crime family. 

Crespo was a cocaine smuggler who later turned into a state witness and testified against a multimillion-dollar drug ring. All three are missing. 

Investigators also speculated if the homicide could be connected to Tony Spilotro, a notorious hitman for the Chicago Mafia in Las Vegas. 

‘Spilotro was an enforcer and a murderer. And if they wanted somebody killed or murdered, he was the guy,’ Detective Deborah Richard, a retired Las Vegas FBI agent, told ABC News 

Similar remains were found in 1976 when mobster Johnny Roselli was found in a barrel in Dumfoundling Bay, Florida. The incident occurred after he testified to the Senate that he was involved in CIA plots to kill Fidel Castro. 

The Daily Mail has reached out for comment from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County Coroner’s office for comments.