Nevada sheriffs are asking the public’s help in identifying a man killed on Saturday in an apparent homicide at the Burning Man festival.
In a statement on Monday, Pershing county sheriff Jerry Allen asked for assistance to identify the man, who was found dead in the futurist encampment of Black Rock City as the festival reaching its climax when an effigy – the eponymous burning man – was set alight.
“We are specifically looking to identify the white male adult decedent who is between the ages of 35 and 40, approximately 6 feet tall and 200 lbs, with short brown hair and facial hair,” Allen said in a statement reported by the Reno Gazette Journal.
The sheriff’s office are looking for any information from people who heard or saw anything between 8 and 9.30pm.
“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. “At this time, no information is too small to disregard, so do not hesitate to contact my office.”
A murder investigation was launched on Sunday after a man was found “lying in a pool of blood” on Saturday night, police said. That came after a festival-goer alerted a police officer that a man was found “lying on the ground, obviously deceased”.
Part of the site was cordoned off as on-site police began investigating. Organizers with the Burning Man Project said it was cooperating with law enforcement. In a statement, Burning Man officials asked those still on the playa not to interfere with law enforcement.
“The safety and well-being of our community are paramount,” Burning Man said.
Sheriff Allen said “several participants in the immediate area” were interviewed.
“Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances,” Allen warned.
“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,” he added.
Burning Man has become the site of unexpected attention in recent years. In 2023, it was washed out by strong rain storm that turned the desert to mud, killing one person; this year, a dust storm tore temporary structures away, including one named the “orgy dome”.
The festival has previously experienced deaths, including when a man ran into the fire in 2017.
Last week, Burning Man co-founder John Law made a rude gesture when he was asked to describe the festival, saying it had strayed far from its late stage counter-culture origins in the 1980s.
“We were going to go out to the Black Rock Desert to just go crazy, and, you know, drive 100 miles an hour with the lights out, set bonfires and go up to the hot springs. We didn’t plan on bringing any art with us,” Law said.
But he broke with the festival in 1996 when it grew large and more commercialized.
“It’s a giant party for rich white people,” Law told SF Gate. “They’re selling the idea of freedom, and it’s not free. The whole philosophy, it’s a bunch of crap.” He added that the festival now demands conformity. “The star f–kers started coming around. It’s as clubby in its own way as the Elks or some hunting lodge in Minnesota.”
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