Sundae Schor learned this week that the man whose remains were recovered from a barrel in Lake Mead was her stepfather, Edward Lelburian Jackson. The identification ended decades of uncertainty for the 77-year-old Bullhead City resident and delivered a measure of closure she had sought since childhood. Police recovered the body in May 2022, yet the case stayed open until recent forensic work and public tips confirmed Jackson’s identity.
Abuse That Shaped a Lifetime
Schor described repeated sexual assaults by Jackson that began when she was five or six and continued until she was about fifteen. She said the attacks occurred while her mother worked as a prison guard and Jackson operated as a painting contractor in the Long Beach area. Fear of family breakup kept her silent for years, she explained, because Jackson warned that disclosure would send her mother to prison and place the children in foster care. The pattern of control extended beyond the assaults. Schor recalled Jackson demanding deference at home and from his workers, driving flashy Cadillacs, and associating with men whose conversations turned quiet when she entered the room. He left the family around 1969 with little explanation. Schor saw him only a few times afterward, including at her second wedding in 1974.
Decades of Uncertainty and a Sudden Answer
Jackson’s identification answered questions that had lingered since the barrel surfaced at Lake Mead. Investigators had estimated the death occurred in the early 1980s, yet Schor believes he was still alive in 1987 when a relative mentioned his plan to attend her grandmother’s funeral. The clothing found with the remains also differed from the style she remembered, raising further questions about his final years. Police have not contacted Schor about the homicide. She has begun her own inquiries, reaching out to former neighbors and reviewing old connections in an effort to understand how Jackson ended up in the lake. The answers may take years more to surface.
Relief Instead of Grief
Upon hearing the news from a reporter, Schor expressed relief rather than sorrow. “I’ve been waiting to hear this news my whole life,” she said, recalling the fear that once drove her to hide in closets. She had checked online periodically for an obituary, hoping someone had ended the threat she felt he still posed. The confirmation that Jackson died violently removed the possibility that he might one day reappear. Schor said the fear had shaped her relationships and her decision not to have children. With the identification, that chapter has closed.
Remaining Questions for Investigators
The case now shifts from identification to motive and timing. Schor doubts any family member was involved and notes that few relatives remain alive to provide information. The circumstances that placed Jackson in the barrel and the lake remain unknown, leaving authorities with a homicide that is decades old and still largely unexplained. For Schor, the practical outcome is simpler. The knock she once feared will never come. She continues to paint and live along the Colorado River downstream from the site where her stepfather’s remains rested for so long.
AI Disclaimer: This article was created with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by a human editor.