After two years of waiting, season three of Unsolved Mysteries has landed on Netflix, shining a light on some of America's cold cases, unexplained supernatural activities, and mysterious disappearances.
In the next batch of episodes of Unsolved Mysteries volume three, the sudden death of Las Vegas wrestling promoter Buffalo Jim is explored, with new theories presented about what happened to him on April 5, 2008.
It's been 14 years since Barrier passed, and his family is still searching for answers. Was Buffalo Jim murdered at a Vegas motel, did he die of an overdose, or was his death the result of something else?
Newsweek has everything you need to know about the case of Buffalo Jim and the theories surrounding his death.
What Happened to Buffalo Jim?
Barrier was a popular Las Vegas wrestling promoter and local celebrity. On the morning of April 6, 2008, his lifeless body was found in a Motel 6 on Boulder Highway, Las Vegas. He was 55 years old.
According to news reports, Barrier was found lying on his bed, with an empty prescription bottle of Valium on the bedside table and his trousers at his ankles.
As heard in Unsolved Mysteries, an unidentified woman told police that she was in the room with Barrier on the evening of April 5, 2008. She said Barrier had suffered a seizure and that she had left during the episode, without calling 911.
Barrier's death was ruled as accidental, citing dilated cardiomyopathy (inflamed heart muscles), but Michael Murphy, the then-Clark County coroner, also cited in Barrier's toxicology report that traces of cocaine were a contributing factor to his death.
However, the official version has been disputed by Barrier's family and friends, who believe he was murdered, with his killer still free today.
Unfortunately, no fingerprints or DNA samples were taken from the scene, making it very difficult to catch the alleged murderer.
In Unsolved Mysteries, several theories are put forward by Barrier's loved ones as to what happened to Barrier.
1. Rick Rizzolo
Two days before Barrier's death, Las Vegas strip-club owner Rick Rizzolo was released from prison.
For years, the two men did not see eye to eye, fighting in court numerous times over parking spaces and the location of Barrier's auto-repair shop disrupting Rizzolo's expansion plans.
In 2002, Barrier even filed a harassment lawsuit against Rizzolo, claiming the cars at his shop had been vandalized.
In 2006, Barrier worked with the FBI in their investigation into tax evasion at Crazy Horse Too, a strip club owned by Rizzolo. The authorities also believed the place had links to organized crime.
In 2007, Rizzolo pleaded guilty to tax evasion and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
As heard in Unsolved Mysteries, Barrier's friends and family suspect Rizzolo may have killed Barrier in an act of revenge.
2. Buffalo Jim Received Death Threats
In the weeks leading up to his death, Barrier's daughters Jerica and Elise Barrier recall their father receiving several death threats over the phone and via letters.
Las Vegas Weekly reported that, on the day before Barrier died, he received a call from an unknown person identifying himself as a hitman and threatening to kill him.
When Barrier's body was discovered, a folded dollar bill was found in his wallet.
In Unsolved Mysteries, Barrier's daughters explain how the folded dollar bill is usually the sign of a kill, committed by members of organized crime.
3. Did a Woman Kill Buffalo Jim?
In a first-person article for Las Vegas Weekly, Joshua Longobardy, a journalist and friend of Barrier, said that, in the days before he died, the promoter had been concerned for his safety, fearing Rizzolo had ordered his death.
However, Longobardy believes Rizzolo would not be the one to carry out the killing, but rather it would be a woman or via drugs that Rizzolo would get to him.
Longobardy wrote in his article: "Because I spoke to Barrier on a weekly basis, and because I had always known him to be a sensible man, I deemed his worries generally valid and told him so. 'Be aware of ambushes,' I said.
"He countered by stating his presentiment that his enemies—in name, the Rizzolo family and their associates—would try to get him through a stratagem. 'They're gonna try to do it through a woman,'" Longobardy wrote. "'Or they're gonna try to drug me.'"
A look at Barrier's phone records shows he received calls and a voicemail from a woman known only as "Lisa". Additionally, he had booked a motel room for two.
A woman also told authorities she had been with Barrier on the night he died, adding he had suffered a seizure.
4. The Missing Car
When Barrier's boy was discovered, the keys to his Rolls-Royce were with him, but his car was nowhere to be seen in the Motel 6 parking lot.
The car had originally been owned by Bob Stupak but had been seized by Barrier after the casino developer had failed to pay for repair services.
After the Barrier family questioned police about the location of his car, it was later found in the parking lot in an area that had been searched. Upon inspection, it became clear the vehicle had also been cleaned, but by who?
If you know anything about the death of Buffalo Jim, you can submit a tip at https://unsolved.com/tips/ now.
Unsolved Mysteries is streaming on Netflix now. The final three episodes of volume three will arrive on Tuesday, November 1.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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