Police are seeking help identifying the victim in what is being investigated as a homicide during this year’s Burning Man Festival held in the Nevada Desert. The victim was discovered on Saturday, August 30, just as the human-shaped wooden structure called the “Man” was beginning to burn, a tradition at the annual festival held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. According to a statement released by Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen on Sunday, local and federal authorities responded to a report of a man on the ground lying in a pool of blood at the event’s campsite.
“Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances,” Allen said in the statement. “There is no further information available at this time, but it will be released as appropriate to provide for communication, while still preserving the integrity of the complicated investigation of a crime in a city which will be gone by the middle of the week.”
The nine-day festival is held in Black Rock City, a temporary city constructed by Burning Man volunteers in the Nevada desert, about 100 miles from Reno. After every year’s festival, the city is deconstructed according to the event’s “Leave No Trace” principle, meaning attendees are tasked with removing all structures, belongings, and waste, restoring the desert to its natural state. During the festival, the semi-circle shaped city is laid out like a clock with radial avenues named after their clock position and street names that change each year according to a specific theme.
On Monday, the Sheriff’s Office released another statement seeking any information from the public that could help identify the victim. “The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is requesting any information regarding a homicide which occurred on August 30, 2025 between 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in the area between 8 o’clock and I St. and 845 and I St. in Black Rock City, at the Burning Man Festival,” the statement reads. “If you were in this area, or passing by during this timeframe and saw or heard anything, please contact the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office @ 775-273-2641 ог 775-273-5111. Reference PCSO case #25-318 and ask for Investigator Josh Nicholson.”
The search is focused on what the Sheriff’s Department has identified as a “white male adult who is between the ages of 35 and 40.” The statement says the victim was approximately six feet tall and 200 pounds with short brown hair and facial hair.
In addition to seeking help from the public in identifying the victim, the search for the suspect in the homicide continues. “We are also currently seeking information regarding any suspect identifiers for any person who would commit such a heinous crime against another human being,” Allen said in the statement. “At this time, no information is too small to disregard, so do not hesitate to contact my Office.”
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