The man tragically killed at the Burning Man festival last week has been identified as 37 year old Russian, Vadim Kruglov, by The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities have confirmed that Vadim was identified through his fingerprints by the Washoe Medical Examiner’s Office and his family has been informed of his untimely death. His body was discovered at the festival after 9 p.m. on Saturday, found “lying on the ground” in a pool of blood, according to the sheriff’s office.
This identification follows an appeal from a Nevada Sheriff on September 1 for help in identifying the victim. A woman claiming to be a friend of Vadim’s subsequently posted a plea for public assistance on Instagram. The news comes as a tragic British girl, 11, died after being found in a Canary Islands hotel swimming pool.
Influencer Sofiia Shcherbakova shared two photos and a video of Vadim on September 2, labelling him as a “missing person.”, reports the Mirror US.
In her post, she wrote: “Last seen at the Burning Man festival 4 days ago. He has not been in contact since. His tent and belongings were left at camp, but he never returned. Please share this information widely. If anyone has seen Vadim or has any information, please let us know. We are very concerned and hope he will be found soon.”
As per various reports, no suspect has yet been identified and officials are appealing to the public for help in finding “any person who would commit such a heinous crime against another human being.”
Officials have also stated that details about Vadim’s cause of death are currently being withheld as the investigation continues.
On Wednesday, Burning Man issued a heartfelt statement on their website, saying: “Our hearts go out to Vadim’s family and friends and we grieve the loss of a community member.
“Burning Man Project is doing everything we can to assist the Sheriff’s investigation so the perpetrator can be caught and brought to justice. This includes our intent for a coordinated donation to the Secret Witness program, which offers rewards for more information that contributes to law enforcement’s investigation.”
On 31 August, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed the tragic incident in a statement, stating: “On Aug. 30, at approximately 9:14 p.m., while the ‘Man’ was beginning to burn, a Pershing County Sheriff’s Office Deputy was flagged down by an event participant who advised of a male subject lying in a pool of blood.”
The authorities discovered the man “obviously deceased.”
They initiated an investigation, which involved interviewing several attendees, and increased the law enforcement presence in the area.