44 arrests made at Burning Man; suspected homicide weapon found, police say

Authorities in Northern Nevada said Wednesday they have the “suspected weapon” believed to have been used during a homicide in August at the Burning Man festival.

In a news release, the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said is in possession of a knife suspected to have been used in the killing of Vadim Kruglov, 37, of Washington state.

Kruglov’s body was found “in a pool of blood” following the homicide, which Pershing County officials said happened during the evening of Aug. 30. He died, the sheriff’s office said, after suffering a “single stab wound to the neck.”

The sheriff’s office, according to the release, is still looking for Kruglov’s killer. Anyone with information about the homicide is asked to contact the sheriff’s office.

Meanwhile, the sheriff’s office said Wednesday it made over 40 arrests at this year’s Burning Man festival. The annual festival attracts roughly 80,000 people, according to its website.

Most of the 44 arrests centered around drug possession-related charges, though there were additional violent arrests made, according to data provided by the sheriff’s office.

A California man was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and burglary while a Minnesota man was booked on a charge of domestic battery, according to the sheriff’s office.

Californians represented nearly half of those arrested. Four Nevadans were arrested during the art and music festival, which takes place annually in the Black Rock Desert about 110 miles north of Reno.

One of the Nevadans was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, according to the sheriff’s office.

Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.