Stepdaughter Says She Is “Delighted” After Abusive Stepfather Is Identified as Lake Mead Barrel Murder Victim

A woman says she finally feels a sense of relief after learning that her former stepfather, whom she accused of sexually abusing her throughout childhood, was murdered and left inside a rusted barrel discovered at Lake Mead.

Sundae Schor, now 77, said she spent decades wondering whether Edward Lelburian “Buddy” Jackson might one day return to her life. Her fears began when she was a young girl and, according to her account, Jackson repeatedly sexually abused her between the ages of five and 15.

Jackson’s remains were discovered by boaters in a rusted barrel along the shoreline of Lake Mead, near Las Vegas, in May 2022. At the time, investigators were unable to identify the victim.

More than four years later, authorities announced that forensic genealogy and other investigative evidence had identified the man as Jackson, who was believed to have been in his mid-to-late 50s when he died.

Investigators determined that Jackson had been shot in the head and estimated that he was killed in the early 1980s. His murder remains unsolved, and authorities have appealed for information about the circumstances surrounding his death.

For Schor, the identification brought an unexpected end to years of uncertainty. She told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she had periodically searched online to see whether Jackson had died, explaining that she had lived with the fear that he might reappear.

Schor said the alleged abuse began when Jackson was her stepfather and continued for years. She recalled that he threatened her with the possibility of her mother going to prison and the children being placed in foster care if she revealed what was happening.

She said she remained silent as a child, believing that speaking out could destroy her family. The experiences, she explained, continued to affect her relationships and decisions long after the abuse ended.

Jackson had left the family decades earlier. Schor last saw him at her wedding in 1974, according to the newspaper’s report. She said she continued to wonder about his whereabouts for much of her life.

Although the identification has brought Schor a measure of closure, major questions remain about Jackson’s death. Police have not identified a suspect or established a motive, and investigators have said they have found no direct evidence linking the killing to organized crime.

The case first attracted widespread attention when the barrel emerged as Lake Mead’s water level fell during a prolonged drought. The discovery prompted speculation about possible links to Las Vegas’ criminal underworld, but authorities have stressed that the circumstances of Jackson’s killing remain unclear.

For Schor, the most significant development is personal: after decades of fear and uncertainty, she believes the man she says harmed her can no longer return.

Source: DAILYMAIL