The Burning Man raver found dead in a pool of blood on the festival’s last day was fatally stabbed once in the neck — as cops believe they’ve recovered the knife used in the mysterious murder.
New details were released in the death of Vadim Kruglov, 37, the Russian national killed Aug. 30 by a suspect who cops say remains on the lam.
Stock photos released by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office show the knife believed to have been used to kill Kruglov — a green-bladed kitchen knife with a blue rubberized handle, according to 2News Nevada.
Kruglov appears to have died from a single stab wound to his neck, officials added.
The image of the murder weapon does not depict the actual knife allegedly used to kill Kruglov, police clarified.
A suspect in the grisly homicide has still not been caught, though cops added they have received hundreds of tips in their investigation.
Kruglov, who visited the US from the Siberian city of Omsk, arrived at Burning Man in Nevada on Aug. 24, according to an Instagram post from his friend who reported him missing.
“He has not been in contact since. His tent and belongings were left at camp, but he never returned,” wrote Sofiia Shcherbakova, who attended Burning Man with Kruglov.
He was found around 9 p.m. when a festival-goer flagged down a sheriff’s deputy and reported seeing “a male subject lying in a pool of blood,” the sheriff’s office said at the time
The scene was uncovered while the “Man,” a towering, human-shaped wooden sculpture at the center of the festival grounds in Black Rock City, was set on fire, the sheriff’s office said.
Local deputies, Bureau of Land Management rangers, and Burning Man’s own Black Rock Rangers created a perimeter around the area and interviewed several festival-goers at the scene.
The Washoe Medical Examiner’s Office identified Kruglov by his fingerprints, the sheriff’s office previously said.
His grieving father, Igor Kruglov, said “words can’t express” his anguish after he learned his son died at the Nevada desert festival, according to a heart-wrenching video statement released on Facebook.
“He felt injustice deeply and fought for fairness always. I believe a similar situation occurred here,” Igor stated in Russian.
“This world is often unfair, but as a peaceful man, I seek justice. I want those responsible to face consequences.”
The Burning Man Project has been aiding and cooperating with the investigation to find Kruglov’s killer.
The Burning Man Project said it will do “everything we can to assist the Sheriff’s investigation so the perpetrator can be caught and brought to justice,” including making a “coordinated donation to the Secret Witness program, which offers rewards for more information that contributes to law enforcement’s investigation.”
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