Homicide at Burning Man turns Silicon Valley’s desert playground into a crime scene

A homicide investigation has rocked the final days of Burning Man after a man was found dead, “lying in a pool of blood,” Saturday night at the Nevada desert festival, according to the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office. As reported by the New York Times, the grim discovery occurred around 9:14 p.m. just as the festival’s iconic wooden “Man” effigy began its traditional burn.

The victim, described as a white adult male whose identity remains unknown, was found by a festival participant who flagged down a deputy. Sheriff Jerry Allen confirmed that deputies, Bureau of Land Management rangers, and local rangers immediately secured a perimeter while the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office forensic team collected evidence.

The death comes as Burning Man long ago evolved from a countercultural gathering into a networking hub for Silicon Valley’s tech elite. Tesla CEO Elon Musk once declared that “Burning Man is Silicon Valley,” and Mark Zuckerberg famously helicoptered in to serve grilled cheese sandwiches. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has also made the desert pilgrimage.

But perhaps no tech leaders have deeper ties to the festival than Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who have been devoted attendees for years. Their connection reportedly runs so deep that long before Google Doodles became known for celebrating holidays, the very first Google Doodle was launched on August 30, 1998, to tell users that Page and Brin were out of office at Burning Man.

This homicide investigation marks the latest in a series of bizarre incidents at the festival over its 38-year history. In 2017, a man died after throwing himself into the burning effigy, while deaths from motorcycle crashes and vehicle accidents have occurred since the 1990s. In another strange twist, last week, a baby named Aurora was born at the festival to parents who had no idea they were expecting.

The investigation faces unique challenges as Sheriff Allen noted it’s “a complicated investigation of a crime in a city which will be gone by the middle of the week.” With the festival scheduled to end Monday and the traditional exodus of 70,000 attendees beginning, authorities may face pressure to extend the timeline or restrict departures to preserve the crime scene and conduct interviews.

“Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances,” the sheriff’s office warned as the temporary desert metropolis prepares for its annual dismantling.

Correction: This post has been updated to better reflect the nature of the situation and as-of-now unknown cause of death that occurred at this year’s Burning Man.