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OSU forensic team identifies man found in Lake Mead barrel after years-long mystery
Oklahoma State University forensic scientists used genetic genealogy to identify Edward Jackson, whose remains were found in a barrel in Lake Mead in 2022. Investigators are still trying to determine what happened in his final moments.
Oklahoma State University forensic scientists helped identify Edward Jackson, whose remains were discovered in a barrel in Lake Mead in 2022, after earlier efforts by Nevada investigators failed to establish who he was.
The remains had a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators sent a bone fragment to OSU’s School of Forensic Sciences, where researchers extracted DNA despite its degradation after decades in the water, according to the school’s chair, Dr. Jason Beaman.
The team converted the DNA into a digital profile and used forensic genetic genealogy to search for possible relatives. Beaman said researchers spent two to three months building family trees and found a candidate whose age fit. DNA information associated with the candidate’s parents strengthened the lead, and testing a living relative later confirmed Jackson’s identity.
Beaman said the work can help families who have spent years searching for missing relatives. The identification brings answers about Jackson’s identity, but not yet about how or when he died. Investigators continue to examine the circumstances of his death.
OSU’s forensic team is working on about a dozen cases with law enforcement agencies around the country, Beaman said. The team hopes to make genetic genealogy more accessible so it can help resolve additional unidentified-person cases.